FEMA Transitional Assistance Activated for NJ

The following is a press release from FEMA.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), at the request of New Jersey and New York, has activated its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program. This program allows eligible survivors who are in shelters and cannot return to their homes due to damages caused by Hurricane Sandy to stay in participating hotels or motels until more suitable housing accommodations are available.

“FEMA is supporting the State of New York and the State of New Jersey with meeting the housing needs of their residents,” said FEMA Administrator Fugate. “The Transitional Sheltering Assistance program is providing survivors currently staying in shelters with the chance to find a hotel or motel while recovery continues. I encourage those who have been displaced and need a place to stay to contact FEMA at 1-800-621-3362, or www.disasterassistance.gov.”

The first step to receiving assistance is by registering with FEMA. Individuals who sustained losses in designated counties in New York and New Jersey must apply for assistance by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by registering using a web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov, or online atwww.disasterassistance.gov for those with internet access.  Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.  FEMA is asking that those with ability to register online do so to keep phone lines open for those without connectivity and to share this information with friends and neighbors. 

Individuals and households may be eligible for TSA, if:

• They register with FEMA for assistance
• They pass identity verification
• Their pre-disaster primary residence is located in a geographic area that is designated for TSA and occupancy is verified
• As a result of the disaster, they are displaced from their pre-disaster residence and are currently staying in a shelter

This federal assistance is intended to provide a place to stay for a specific period of time for eligible survivors who are displaced from their pre-disaster residence and are currently staying in a shelter. This federal program will not reimburse applicants for previously incurred hotel expenses and applicants are responsible for their own meals and for any lodging costs above the authorized allowance.

In addition, FEMA is also providing assistance such as grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.  As of 11:00 am, more than 118,000 disaster survivors from New York and New Jersey have applied for federal disaster assistance, and more than $106 million in Individual Assistance has been approved. 

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.The social media links are provided for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.