If you are a survivor of Hurricane Ian or Nicole who received initial rental assistance, you may be eligible for continued temporary housing assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. FEMA pays temporary rent, including a security deposit, at a place other than your damaged home, to help you get back on your feet.
The rental assistance you receive may be used to rent a house, apartment, manufactured home, recreational vehicle, or other readily fabricated dwelling. The assistance includes essential utilities such as electricity and water, but not cable or Internet. The approved rental amount will be based on fair market rates for your area as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Continued temporary housing assistance may be available based on ongoing disaster caused need if suitable housing is not available or you haven’t completed a permanent housing plan through no fault of your own. If you intend to seek continued rental assistance, among other documentation that must be submitted, keep your receipts you’ll need them to show you used your FEMA assistance for rent. Keep your receipts for three years.
You may qualify for continued temporary housing assistance if you:
- Were awarded initial rental assistance and used it as it was intended.
- Are unable to return to your pre-disaster residence because it is uninhabitable, inaccessible, or not available due to the disaster.
- Demonstrate a disaster-caused financial need.
- Are not receiving temporary housing assistance from any other source.
- Show you are developing a longer-term or permanent housing plan or demonstrate progress toward one. A contractor’s estimate of repairs can point to progress, as an example.
If you have an ongoing disaster-caused need, you can request additional temporary housing assistance.
- If you are a renter, you must contact FEMA and ask for an Application for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance.
If you are a homeowner, and your real property FEMA verified losses are equal to or greater than the amount of the initial Rental Assistance award the Application for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance will be sent to you automatically approximately two weeks after the initial Rental Assistance award was approved. If you did not receive the application and need continued temporary housing assistance, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to speak with a specialist. The line is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service.
For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Ian or Nicole, visit floridadisaster.org/info, fema.gov/disaster/4673 or fema.gov/disaster/4680. Follow FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and facebook.com/fema.