TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As one of the largest arenas in southwest Florida, the Hertz Arena in Estero, which was turned into a shelter for Hurricane Ian victims begins reaching its maximum capacity and other shelters are bursting at the seams, impacted residents in hard-hit southwest Florida now have another option.
On Saturday, the state of Florida activated the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) Program in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). People who have applied for disaster assistance may be eligible to shelter in a hotel or motel paid for by FEMA.
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According to Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, residents may be eligible for TSA if they cannot return to their home and their housing needs cannot be met by insurance, shelters or rental assistance provided by FEMA or another agency.
Residents eligible include those from the Florida counties of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia.
The program will be limited to hotels and motels participating in Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
Those who are eligible will be notified through an automated phone call, text message or email, depending on the method they selected when they applied for assistance.
Meanwhile, the number of storm-related deaths in Florida from Ian is currently at 92, according to reports from the Florida Medical Examiners Commissioner, according to the Associated Press.
Find out more about FEMA assistance at disasterassistance.gov or call the disaster assistance helpline at 800-621-3362.