What are the eligibility criteria for TSA?
FEMA may pay for temporary lodging in hotels/motels if you meet all the following criteria:
- A FEMA inspection finds your home is unsafe to live in.
- You don’t have insurance that provides for living expenses following a disaster.
- Your FEMA application is active.
How will I be notified if I am no longer eligible for assistance?
FEMA will contact you by text, email and/or telephone call seven days before you must check out.
How will I lose my eligibility for TSA assistance?
FEMA will review your eligibility for continuing assistance every 14 days, and you may be considered no longer eligible for Transitional Sheltering Assistance if:
- A FEMA inspection finds that your home is safe to live in.
- An inspector couldn’t complete a home inspection after three attempts to contact you, or you failed to show up for an inspection.
- Someone else in your household is getting FEMA housing assistance.
- You are now getting rental assistance from FEMA.
- You haven’t submitted documentation that proves you are not getting insurance benefits for loss of use or additional living expenses.
- You fail to comply with the terms and conditions of the motel/hotel where you’re staying.
I’ve been notified I’m no longer eligible for assistance. What do I need to do to show that I need to stay in my hotel?
You may need to provide documentation that proves you’re not getting insurance benefits for loss of use or additional living expenses. You may also need to show that the home noted in your application is your primary residence.
I’ve been told that I’m not eligible for additional assistance because I haven’t worked on my Permanent Housing Plan. What is a Permanent Housing Plan and what do I need to do?
Applicants may qualify for continued assistance based on a demonstrated need in addition to having a longer-term or permanent housing plan or have demonstrated progress towards development of a long-term housing plan.
Survivors receiving FEMA funds, including TSA assistance, rental assistance and housing provided by FEMA need to make a plan for moving into permanent housing. If you can’t yet move into a permanent home and need your FEMA assistance to continue, you need to show FEMA progress in your housing plan.
Survivors can show long-term housing plan progress if they:
- Decide whether to repair or rebuild a pre-disaster home, find and purchase a new residence, or find and lease an available rental unit.
- Provide evidence of progress — such as invoices for repairs, application/s for additional funds (SBA, bank, etc.), contract for rebuild or a lease for a new home.
- Provide evidence of the cause for delays beyond your control.
- Achieve long-term housing plan goals in a reasonable time frame.
- Fulfill requests to communicate and meet with FEMA staff member.
What do I do now that I’m no longer eligible for Transitional Sheltering Assistance?
You still have access to other disaster assistance resources, including information about additional housing options through Activate Hope at HopeFlorida.com or (833) GET-HOPE (833-438-4673), as well as the State of Florida’s 211 after your TSA program eligibility ends.
For additional assistance, call FEMA’s Hotline at (800) 621-3362, go to DisasterAssistance.gov, or download and use the FEMA app.
For the latest information about Hurricane Milton recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4834. For Hurricane Helene recovery information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4828. For Hurricane Debby, visit fema.gov/disaster/4806. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.