Transitional Sheltering Assistance

Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) provides temporary sheltering option using participating hotels and motels for survivors, as they transition from emergency shelters to temporary or permanent housing solutions.

• In TSA, FEMA will pay the nightly room rate and taxes, as well as non-refundable pet fees if applicable.
• Survivors are notified of their eligibility by FEMA via phone call, email, and/or text message depending upon the method of communication they selected at the time of application for disaster assistance.
• FEMA is working with the state and voluntary organizations that can help households find temporary lodging.
• At the same time, we are providing viable options for lodging through rental assistance and lodging reimbursement to eligible survivors.
• Households can also call 211 for referrals for possible additional resources.
• The State of Florida may be able to assist survivors unable to remain at their homes due to damages caused by Hurricane Ian with temporary sheltering and temporary or permanent repairs to their homes. Unmet needs, such as transportation, senior services, or household supplies, can also be fulfilled through Unite Florida at IanRecovery.FL.gov/Unite. The information entered is completely confidential. For those who need more assistance filling out an application, please call 1-800-892-0948.

Conditions of Eligibility

To be considered for TSA, applicants must meet all the following criteria:

• Register with FEMA for assistance and pass identity and occupancy verification;
• The primary residence is located in an area designated for TSA;
• Indicate a need for emergency sheltering;
• Indicate home damage during registration;
• Report damage that occurred within the incident period;
• Report a cause of damage that corresponds with the incident type (e.g., wind and rain for a hurricane);
• Not be linked with another valid registration for FEMA assistance; and
• Indicate a current location of shelter, hotel, car, or place of employment as part of their FEMA application

Examples of when an applicant will be deemed ineligible to continue in TSA include, but are not limited to

• Failure to comply with the TSA Terms and Conditions;
• Pre-disaster primary residence is deemed safe to occupy by a FEMA inspection;
• Unwillingness to relocate from the primary residence while repairs are made;
• The home noted in the applicant’s registration is not the primary residence; or
• An inspector was not able to complete a home inspection after multiple attempts;

More Information

FEMA may provide financial assistance and direct assistance to eligible disaster survivors. Financial assistance may be Lodging Expense Reimbursement (LER), Rental Assistance, Home Repair Assistance, and Replacement Assistance. Examples of direct assistance include Multi-Family Lease and Repair (MLR), Transportable Temporary Housing Units (TTHUs), such as Recreational Vehicles (RVs) or Manufactured Housing Units (MHUs), and Direct Lease.

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