Latest news with #TransitionalShelteringAssistance
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
FEMA extends temporary housing deadline for some storm survivors
ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane victims have more time to figure out a permanent living situation. FEMA extended the deadline homeowners to move out of temporary housing, Wednesday. The Plaza Beach Hotel is Andrea Simhony's current home. Her condo in St. Pete Beach is filled with bare sheets of drywall, paint cans, and unfinished floors as she deals with damage from last year's hurricanes. See what happens when hawks attack outside Sarasota business 'I'm trying to make progress,' she said. 'I don't have money to pay for a hotel every night. I don't have anywhere else.' Andrea is among many people relying on FEMA assistance to cover hotel costs. The Transitional Housing Assistance Program was set to end Wednesday. The looming expiration date put more stress on storm survivors. 'It's really tough, I'm under doctor's care, I have medical problems, I can't just get up and say, 'lets go'. I can't because I don't know where I'm going to end up,' explained Treasure Island resident Marian Majewski. Now, the aid is extended for two months. Leaders with Sen. Rick Scott's office sent the following statement FDEM did request an extension from FEMA for TSA and they granted the limited extension – verbiage received from the state below – By policy, FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program is available for up to 6 months from the date of disaster declaration, when approved. Given the scale of sheltering needs for Hurricanes Helene and Milton, FDEM submitted a request to extend the TSA program wholistically. FEMA has authorized a 60-day limited extension of the TSA program for specific households who fall into categories that they have determined to be eligible for continued sheltering. This limited extension will move the current end date for the program from April 9, 2025, to June 8, 2025. This extension is limited to those households currently checked-in to TSA hotels who are either approved for FEMA Direct Housing but are still awaiting placement, or who have sustained Major or Destroyed damage levels as verified by a FEMA home inspection. Households who do not fall into one of these two categories will be notified by FEMA with a check-out date of April 9, 2025. Households who have applied for FEMA assistance must keep FEMA apprised of their current housing status. Applicants can be reviewed to see if they qualify for rental assistance. Households that have not been in TSA will not be approved for TSA at this point. Households that receive rental assistance can utilize this money to pay for rental units or if the hotel has space they can use the monies to pay to stay there. The county has weekly meetings with FEMA and the State on the status of households. FEMA and the state contact families to assess their situations and to verify what their housing plan is. FEMA continues to stress that households update their information online or call the 1-800 number. Pinellas county continues to work with FEMA for placement of travel trailers and mobile homes as well as sharing local rental resources. Spokesperson for Sen. Rick Scott The news is relief for families still working to put their homes back together. 'I don't want to be on the streets, I refuse to sleep on the streets,' said Simhony. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Deadline extended to June for FEMA program helping hurricane victims
The Brief The deadline has been extended to June for FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program helping hurricane victims. With the extended deadline, officials say eligibility will continue to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis every two weeks. FEMA says people should continue to keep the information on their accounts updated and check for updates on their case. TAMPA, Fla. - As FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program was set to end, the deadline has been extended. The TSA program has provided hotel housing to thousands of people across Tampa Bay who were displaced after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Timeline The deadline for the TSA program was set for Thursday. People were expecting to have to move out of the hotels they've been living in for months, and many of them had nowhere else to go. On Wednesday afternoon, FEMA announced an extension to the TSA program following a request from the State of Florida. FEMA says the deadline for the TSA program is now June 8 for households with significant FEMA-verified damage that has been categorized as major damage or destroyed. The program extension also includes household that are waiting on placement through the Direct Temporary Housing program. What they're saying "I'm just ready to get in a home and it's just taking a long time for that to happen," Rule said. Jason Rule has been living out of hotels for about six months. He says the home he was renting in South Pasadena had to be torn down after is was destroyed during Helene. "You go from your own home with what you have to a one-room with your family. And again, it's nice to have a lid over your head, but it's been rough because once FEMA started giving extensions, you live two weeks, to two weeks, to two weeks, to two weeks," Rule said. Rule is also a contractor and has been trying to get other people back in their homes as quickly as possible. He says they've made progress with permitting and construction, and he hopes it continues. "Permits are being issued now, but it takes time for the work to be done," Rule said. READ: St. Pete Beach storm victims still out of their homes with FEMA hotel stays set to end: 'I'll be homeless' The Plaza Beach Hotel in St. Pete Beach has been exclusively housing displaced residents and families for about six months. "It took the first three months just to get a permit," Robert Czyszczon, the Plaza Beach Hotel General Manager said. "So, once they got a permit, they had to get the contractors, they had to get everything put together, so people are in the process of getting back into their homes, but they just need a little bit more time." Czyszczon says most of his guests have homes, but they've been waiting on repairs to be made. "Some of them only need two more weeks," Czyszczon said. "I've talked to some of the residents here. Some need two weeks, some need three weeks." With the extended deadline to FEMA's TSA program, officials say eligibility will continue to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis every two weeks. FEMA officials say that at this stage in the recovery process, the eligibility requirements will become more narrowly defined and focused on the severity of damage and the progress in securing permanent housing. FEMA says people should continue to keep the information on their accounts updated and check for updates on their case. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kylie Jones. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘It's like survival mode': Deadline nears for hurricane survivors with FEMA hotel assistance
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A wave of hurricane survivors are scrambling to find a place to live amid a looming deadline for FEMA hotel housing assistance. It's been nearly six months since Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit, but Andrea Simhony is still in the beginning stages of restoring her St. Pete Beach condo. The relentless surge and fierce winds left the interior of her unit in shambles. 'It's like survival mode,' said Simhony. 'I don't want to be on the streets. I refuse to sleep on the streets.' The City of St. Pete Beach was inundated with permit applications following the storms. The backlog delayed Simhony's ability to start her construction project. 'I don't have money to pay for a hotel every night,' said Simhony. 'I don't have anywhere else to go. Just extend us and give us more time because it was a big hold up with the permits at the beginning.' She says the Plaza Beach Hotel has been a haven since all rooms were reserved for hurricane survivors. However, her FEMA temporary sheltering assistance to cover the hotel cost will expire on Thursday. 'We're still trying to get our homes back together,' said Simhony. 'We're stressed out and trying to get our place back together.' Marian Majewski is also a guest at the Plaza Beach Hotel and is still waiting to get a permit to repair her home in Treasure Island. She is hoping FEMA will offer an extension so she can continue living in the hotel while her construction project gets underway. 'My biggest fear is not having a place to go,' said Majewski. 'I don't even have that option now.' FEMA issued the following statement in response to questions from 8 On Your Side: After an eligibility check, this week a significant number of households are no longer eligible for Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA). I cannot provide an exact number. FEMA has tried to contact these households to give them with information about state and local housing and sheltering resources. Additionally, FEMA has substantially increased rental assistance to expand applicants' housing options. Who remains eligible? Households with Significant FEMA Verified Damage. These households have been verified by FEMA inspections as having sustained major or destroyed damage. Many of these properties require substantial repairs or full rebuilding, delaying the return to habitable conditions. Households awaiting placement in the Direct Temporary Housing program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
‘It's like roulette': Pinellas hotel owner concerned over abrupt deadline for FEMA housing help
ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — Several hurricane survivors are facing uncertainty as they continue to rely on temporary housing help from FEMA. Many have been caught in the permit backlog and are still unable to begin the process to rebuild their homes. Rays 'cannot move forward' with new ballpark deal, owner says However, they're also up against a looming deadline that's catching many people off guard. Spring break is here and the rooms at the Plaza Beach Hotel are booked, but dozens of guests are uncertain about the length of their stay. 'Every two weeks you're going to be on eggshells about whether you're going to be here or not,' said Bobby Sather. 'Mentally, it's been very draining.' Sather's home was destroyed in the storms; however, he has been able to stay afloat with help from the FEMA Temporary Shelter Assistance program. 'For a long-term solution, I would get a storage unit and put my items in there,' Sather said. 'If the weather was really inclement, I would stay there until the weather was over.' Robert Czyszczon is the owner of the Plaza Beach Hotel. He reserved all rooms for those recovering from the storms, but this week he received a surprising notice from FEMA that requires several storm victims to check out on March 13. Many will have to leave abruptly without a place to live. Venice replacing damaged seawall, adding 4-foot tall glass flood barrier 'Today is the 13th, but people that have the extension until the 24th had the rug pulled from them, and now they have to leave on the 13th rather than the 24th when they assumed they were going to leave,' Czyszczon said. 'It's almost like a roulette table when you have no idea how the dice is going to roll,' Czyszczon added. The FEMA deadline also comes with a caveat. 'We don't know where we're going to be from two weeks to the next or where we're going to go when the money from FEMA runs out,' said Wendy Athens. Meanwhile, Sather is still picking up the pieces while holding onto memories and hope. 'They're in my mind, but I can't pick them up and hold them,' he said. FEMA responded to the deadline concerns with the following statement: Transitional Sheltering Assistance is a temporary program to help survivors transition to more permanent housing. Upon reviewing with our team, we checked on the hotel you asked about and there have been 6 households who have had to check out this week because they no longer met TSA eligibility criteria. These applicants were provided 7-day notices of their ineligibility. As of today, we can report another 42 households remain eligible for TSA and using this hotel. FEMA FEMA also provided the following information: Transitional Sheltering Assistance Transitional Sheltering Assistance is available for Floridians displaced by Helene or Milton in 52 counties and for tribal members of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians. Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) was requested by the state of Florida and approved on Oct. 15 for Hurricanes Helene and Milton. As of March 10, just over 8,000 Households (19,966 people) are checked into TSA participating hotels and motels in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Generally, every 14 days FEMA will review applicants' eligibility for continued TSA. Applicants who meet the conditions of continued eligibility may remain in TSA. Eligible applicants may choose to stay at any TSA participating lodging facility where a vacancy is available. FEMA provides a list of approved lodging facilities on lodging information on and help through the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Examples of when an applicant will be deemed ineligible for TSA: Pre-disaster primary residence is deemed safe to occupy through a FEMA inspection. The home noted in the applicant's registration is not the applicant's primary residence. An applicant is linked with another applicant who may be receiving FEMA assistance. An inspector was not able to complete a home inspection after three attempts to contact the applicant or the applicant failed to show for one or more inspection appointments. The applicant received rental assistance from FEMA. The applicant has insurance that provides Additional Living Expenses or Loss of Use coverage or has not submitted documentation to prove they do not have these coverages. Failure to comply with the TSA Terms and Conditions. The applicant indicated they did not have damage to their primary residence at the time of application. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
13-02-2025
- USA Today
A FEMA 'system error' stirs confusion, fear for Helene survivors staying at area hotels
Hear this story AI-assisted summary A FEMA "system error" extended hotel stays for Tropical Storm Helene survivors causing confusion and fear after the agency corrected it. FEMA reversed course after pressure from officials, agreeing to honor the original extended check-out date. Despite the reprieve, many survivors remain uncertain about their future housing options once their program eligibility ends. ASHEVILLE – The Federal Emergency Management Agency is blaming a 'system error' for extending hotel stays for dozens of Tropical Storm Helene survivors participating in the agency's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, even though the agency had earlier deemed the participants ineligible for an extension. When FEMA corrected the error, it sparked widespread confusion and fear among program participants, many who told the Citizen Times they have no alternative housing options other than the hotels where they've been living. Patricia Ball, 61, a TSA program participant staying at the Red Roof Inn in West Asheville, told the Citizen Times Feb. 12 that her family will likely become homeless when they're forced to check out. Because of the error, many families, like Ball's, believed they would be able to stay at area hotels until March 7, only to later learn from hotel staff that FEMA would only pay for stays through Feb. 20, shaving two weeks off their stays and giving them only two weeks to find housing. Front desk staff and management at several Asheville hotels noticed the change in their systems on Feb. 8 and began alerting guests, they told the Citizen Times on Feb. 12. In January, the agency had agreed to provide TSA participants three weeks' notice if they were deemed ineligible for the program. The agency has also extended stays multiple times over the last few months, after pressure from elected officials like North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. The TSA program ends May 26. According to FEMA, participating hotels also received notifications that stays had been extended. FEMA did not say when they sent these notifications. Many of the affected program participants told the Citizen Times Feb. 12 they never heard from FEMA and only learned about the changes from hotel staff. They also said FEMA never told them that an error had been made regarding their program eligibility. In response to questions from the Citizen Times sent Feb. 11 and Feb. 12, and a call from Rep. Chuck Edwards' office, the agency acknowledged that an error had been made and said it would honor the March 7 check-out date for affected households. 'Some households previously scheduled for a Feb. 20 final night inadvertently received a system notification through their online disaster account that they had been extended to March 7,' an agency spokesperson told the Citizen Times in a Feb. 12 email. 'FEMA will honor the March 7 final night for these households due to the system error.' In a Feb. 12 email to the Citizen Times, Edwards, who represents North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, said he was pleased that FEMA 'agreed to make good on its error and allow these folks to stay in hotels until March 7.' 'At a time when people here in the mountains are hurting and picking up the pieces of their lives, a little compassion goes a long way,' he said. Even with a temporary reprieve, program participants like Ball, who is recovering from a broken femur and unable to walk, still don't know what they will do when FEMA no longer pays for the hotel rooms they've called home for the last several months. Ball, who was injured when a refrigerator fell on her after a landslide knocked her mobile home off its foundation, said she was previously told that FEMA would cover the cost of her family's hotel room at the Red Roof Inn through March 7, only to learn from hotel staff earlier this week that the stay had been cut short. When Ball spoke to the Citizen Times Feb. 12, she didn't know FEMA had reversed course, deciding to honor the March 7 check-out date. But the two-week extension will likely provide little solace to a family devastated by Helene. Not only did the storm destroy Ball's Black Mountain home, but it also killed her 40-year-old daughter Marsha Lynn. In Ball's second-floor hotel room, which she shares with her father, Samuel Craig, 87, her fiancé Richard Pack, 71, and two chihuahuas Sweetie Pie and Casper, a framed graduation photo of Marsha Lynn dressed in cap and gown is propped on the microwave. 'I need a home,' Ball said through tears. 'FEMA SHOULD BE TERMINATED!' More than four months after the storm, it's unclear what type of additional assistance, if any, Ball and others like her, will receive from FEMA. During a Feb. 8 visit to Western North Carolina, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested FEMA be replaced or reformed, echoing President Donald Trump's earlier remarks that the agency, overseen by DHS, be abolished and that states should manage their own disaster response using federal funds. Noem, however, indicated that some FEMA programs, like TSA, which according to Buncombe County was providing assistance to 529 households in the county as of Feb. 12, would remain. "There is still a role for that program, and the need will still be there," Noem said. "And there's obviously assets that FEMA has that can be deployed." But the future of FEMA remains in question after Trump again called for the agency to be shuttered in a Feb. 11 Truth Social post. 'FEMA spent tens of millions of dollars in Democrat areas, disobeying orders, but left the people of North Carolina high and dry,' Trump wrote in response to a misleading claim from Elon Musk that the agency spent $59 million in disaster aid to house migrants in New York City hotels. 'It is now under review and investigation. THE BIDEN RUN FEMA HAS BEEN A DISASTER. FEMA SHOULD BE TERMINATED!" Lenora Ann Wells, who's staying at the Red Roof Inn with her cat Garfield, told the Citizen Times Feb. 12 that without the TSA program, she will likely become homeless when she's forced to check out March 7. Although FEMA provides rental assistance to eligible survivors, Wells, 67, hasn't been approved, she said. Even if she were, she's unsure who would rent to her. Several people staying at area hotels told the Citizen Times that they're receiving rental assistance from FEMA but are unable to find housing. As a result, they're using the funds to pay for hotel stays, threatening their program eligibility. Wells, whose Swannanoa home was destroyed by Helene, said she had no idea what she would do when she loses her hotel room. 'I have nowhere to go, no means to do so,' she said. 'I understand what Trump is trying to do, but damn, give us something — a little ray of hope in the meantime as to where we're going to go.' Helene survivors in need of assistance can contact the North Carolina Disaster Case Management Program at 844-746-2326. More:3,500 WNC households deemed ineligible for Helene FEMA hotels; residents rush for housing More:'Onto the street': In a month, 5,000 have left FEMA Helene hotels in WNC; over 700 remain Jacob Biba is the Helene recovery reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jbiba@
