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Mostly Cloudy FEMA extends hotel stay for Sandy victims
Displaced residents living in hotels given until Feb. 10 to checkout
Just days before the Federal Emergency Management Agency was set to end its Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program for displaced Hurricane Sandy victims who are staying in hotels, the agency announced on Jan. 24 that the program would run for another two weeks.
FEMA has provided funding for nearly 1,000 eligible Long Island households — individuals or families — who have been staying in hotels since the storm. But that assistance was set to end on Jan. 27.
The new TSA extension will allow applicants eligible for the extension to remain in participating hotels until Feb. 9, with a Feb. 10 checkout date.
The extension, which was made at the request of the state, will allow Hurricane Sandy survivors who cannot return to their homes to stay in participating hotels or motels, and enable eligible individuals the ability to receive federal assistance for repairing their damaged properties. The TSA program is a short-term program that places families in hotels while they work toward a longer-term housing plan.
“We remain committed to assisting all victims of Hurricane Sandy, ensuring that they have the shelter they need, especially in this cold weather,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “The Transitional Sheltering Assistance program will continue to provide shelter to those New Yorkers who do not have homes to return and help others with critically needed funding to rebuild.”
FEMA also announced on Jan. 24 that it has extended its Individual Assistance program for another 30-days. That program that was set to expire on Jan. 28, and allows individuals and businesses to apply to FEMA for assistance for home repairs and other needs, and to the Small Business Administration for loans. According to FEMA, the agency has approved $867.6 million in funding for Individual Assistance grants statewide, with more than $270 million approved in Nassau County.
To be eligible for FEMA Programs, survivors must first apply for federal assistance through FEMA by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov; registering via smartphone or tablet by using the FEMA app or going to m.fema.gov; or registering by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) (TTY 800-462-7585). For 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.
