FEMA Offers Options to Survivors in Need of Temporary Housing

MIDLAND, Mich. –– Michigan residents whose homes were damaged and made unlivable due to the May floods have options to relocate to safe, secure temporary housing while repairs are made to their homes.

FEMA rental assistance is provided to pay for temporary housing if you have been displaced from your pre-disaster primary residence due to the floods. It can be used for renting an apartment or a hotel room when long-term rental accommodations are not available. These options may be especially important as winter approaches, to ensure your temporary living situation has the water, heat and insulation necessary to stay safe.

• To determine if you’re eligible for FEMA rental assistance, first register with FEMA before 11:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 30: Call 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET seven days a week. You can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or through the FEMA App.
• If you didn’t need to relocate when you registered, but your home is unsafe to occupy and your situation has changed, contact FEMA. Within 30 days of your initial FEMA decision letter, you can call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) and inform them of the need to relocate. If it has been more than 30 days, submit the request for temporary housing assistance in writing.
• If you received an initial payment of FEMA rental assistance and are unable to return to your pre-disaster primary residence due to the May floods, be sure to submit a request for continued rental assistance.  If you did not receive a form by mail, you may request one by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). Even if you received the maximum housing grant, you may still be eligible for continued rental assistance.  Be sure to complete the application form, and if you didn’t receive one, contact the FEMA helpline.

For questions about FEMA rental assistance, the FEMA helpline is available to Michigan survivors—even after the September 30, 2020 registration deadline—by calling 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585).  

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