FEMA announced Wednesday that it has approved the state of Florida’s request for direct temporary housing in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto and Lee counties, providing travel trailers and larger manufactured housing units to help eligible Hurricane Ian survivors get a safe roof over their head.
Additionally, more than $1.4 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments has been provided to the state and households to help survivors jumpstart their recovery after Hurricane Ian. FEMA has provided $643 million to households and $322 million to the state for emergency response, while the U.S. Small Business Administration has provided $264 million in disaster loans and the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $184 million in claims.
How FEMA is helping Floridians:
- FEMA will provide temporary housing to eligible Hurricane Ian survivors in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto and Lee counties. FEMA approved Direct Temporary Housing Assistance to provide options for those whose homes are uninhabitable because of the hurricane. FEMA determined that rental assistance is insufficient to meet the housing need in those counties because of a lack of available housing resources. FEMA will notify applicants who are eligible for direct housing. It will take time to transport, permit, install and inspect these units before they are available. Direct Temporary Housing Assistance may be provided for up to 18 months from Sept. 29, 2022, the date of the federal disaster declaration, to March 28, 2024.
- National Flood Insurance Program Florida policyholders who had flood damage from the hurricane have a 90-day window to renew their policies. The extension applies to policies with renewal dates beginning Aug. 25 through Oct. 23. Policyholders whose renewal date is in this range should contact their agent or insurance company. FEMA also extended the proof of loss requirement for flood insurance policyholders in Florida who experienced flood damage from Hurricane Ian from 60 to 365 days. For more information on how to file a flood insurance claim, visit How to Start Your Flood Insurance Claim.
- FEMA has made individual assistance available to 26 counties in Florida. Residents in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties are eligible to apply for Individual Assistance.
- FEMA is meeting survivors where they are to help jumpstart their recoveries. Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists are going door-to-door in Florida neighborhoods to help individuals register for assistance. These teams have interacted with more than 60,000 survivors in counties designated for Individual Assistance.
- Survivors can visit one of 19 Disaster Recovery Centers operating in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee (2 locations), Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties. More centers are planned to open in the coming days. Interpretation services and translated materials are available at these centers to help survivors communicate in the language with which they feel most comfortable. Disaster Recovery Center locations are chosen for their accessibility, with the goal of reaching as many people as possible. As centers are added, real-time locations will be updated at FloridaDisaster.org.
- As survivors recover from Hurricane Ian, rental resources may not be available in some communities for displaced residents. To assist these households, FEMA is providing travel trailers and larger manufactured housing units to eligible households in four counties: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto and Lee. It takes time to transport, permit, install and inspect these units. We are working as quickly as possible with the state and local authorities to provide…