It is hard to get back on track when a disaster comes into our life. A disaster is a natural force that destroys everything in the blink of an eye. People lose their houses, and devastation is common. Recently Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and so many families and individuals lost their homes and belongings. So there are designated areas and parish where homeowners’ and renter’s homes have been damaged and destroyed. So the people living in designated parish and areas are eligible to get FEMA assistance programs. They need to be eligible with proof of the damage and can apply for FEMA assistance, including reimbursement of hotel expenses.
Simply FEMA provides help for the eligible individuals and families in designated areas of Louisiana and other states. There are different types of assistance such as rental assistance, motel voucher, hotel voucher, temporary shelter assistance, FEMA Hotel vouchers, and so on. There may be assistance up to 18 months from the date of declaration of disaster to make sure you can get back on track and return to your home in safe, secured, and good condition. So we are going to discuss the FEAM program and some important issues such as the application process and eligibility criteria.
Content Outline
Emergency Shelter After Disaster
A disaster may come at any moment and hit any area. It is common to see havoc and disaster in the affected area. The natural calamity destroys the houses, cut off the electricity, block the roads, then state of emergency is common to see there. But people who lose their houses and belongings are so helpless and they seek emergency shelter from here and there. The government arranges emergency shelters, nonprofit organizations, international organizations that are ready always to respond to the crisis caused by the disaster.
There are so many organizations and programs to ensure emergency shelter for homeless people. As part of this, Red Cross, local churches, and charitable organizations are the first responders to the disaster. Indeed it is common to see temporary camps where disaster-affected people take shelter and live there. Now people can stay in the hotel for the stipulated time to recover from their crisis and go back to their own homes. For this, it is easy to get a hotel voucher, motel voucher, and other temporary assistance for homeless people. FEMA is another program for the disaster Ida and this program can assist the people with a hotel stay to make sure they can recover their crisis and go back to their own home.
FEMA Hotel Voucher Program For Emergency Shelter
FEMA stands for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and it is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. This was initially created by President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Recognition Plan No 3 of 1978 and implemented by two executive orders. This agency aims to coordinate response to the disaster in the United States of America.
FEMA is now known as transitional sheltering assistance that ensures shelter for the people who have lost their living place. It is common to lose a living place due to different types of disasters and these disasters are common in the United States of America. Under the FEMA program, there are immediate shelters such as hotel stay for the people who like to stay in the hotel. The applicant under the FEMA program needs to show that their houses have been displaced and hit by the disaster. They don’t have any way any condition to live in the house after being destroyed and devastated.
FEMA authority will assess and verify if they truly have been displaced by the recent disaster. In case they get all information as true, they contact the disaster survivors over the phone, text message, or email. There may be some specific rules under the FEMA program and those who can comply may find and book their rooms.
The qualifying people have to sign a document provided by FEMA and then they can check-in and they are bound to follow the FEMA guidelines. The hotel stay comes by up to 30 days and it is a means of passing the crisis period. Additionally, the duration of the hotel stay maybe longer according to your home repair and your house is not ready for living well. FEMA provides this hotel cost but doesn’t provide meal costs and other costs.
Under the FEMA program, the hotels must participate in the program and there is a list of these hotels on disasterassistance.gov under the link transitional sheltering assistance. Additionally, there is a hotline number of FEMA and it is 1-800-621-3362. It is important to note that Hotels may not be available in all states and Hotels are approved in some states like Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
Application Processes For The Fema Hotel Voucher Assistance Program
Surely, people who are survivors due to the recent disaster can go with FEMA assistance through a simple application process. It is important to note that the application is paperwork even if it is going to be online or over the phone. So you need to be prepared with your documents such as photos of a damaged house, damaged items, insurance claim if applicable, and other proof that you have been devastated.
So FEMA encourages people affected by Hurricane Ida through an application process. When you are living in the State of Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, you can still apply for assistance. But living in Mississippi may have no scope to apply because the last date to apply was November 2021. You may go to this link (Disasterassistance.gov) to get started on the application process.
Additionally, you may contact me over the phone as there is a FEMA hotline number 1-800-621-3362. More importantly, you can visit a local disaster recovery center and you may search on Google to reach there easily. There is another easy option for that FEMA app to go smooth functioning of FEMA as the app is more likely to be comfortable to use easily.
The Eligibility Requirement
There are eligibility criteria to qualify for FEMA assistance such as hotel vouchers. Truly you have lost your home or your home has been damaged. In this case, there is financial assistance as FEMA Hotel Voucher for the people who need a temporary living until their houses are in good condition to live. Then there is rental assistance under the following criteria.
- Houses have been uninhabitable due to the disaster
- People are agreed to relocate
- House needs are not covered by the insurance
There is another program that is transitional sheltering assistance. This program provides immediate shelter through hotel stay for people who cannot afford an apartment right now. So eligibility comes from the following criteria-
- People have been displaced and they are supposed to take shelter in any refugee camp.
- Their homes are not in living condition and access is hard to the houses due to disaster.
Hotels that accept FEMA Vouchers
Hotels are located in the designated parish areas and this is used for a limited time stay. A hotel firstly needs to register for the emergency hotel assistance program. For this, the hotels have to set up an account and there are so many rules and regulations on guest policy, and other restrictions.
When people are eligible under the transitional sheltering assistance program, FEMA provides payment to the hotels with the help of FEMA’s Agent and corporate lodging consultant. FEMA ensures the room cost and taxes.
Hotels through transitional sheltering assistance programs may not be available and limited to certain areas. But it is important to complete the registration process under FEMA and this registration number is required to submit to see the participating hotels.
Finding a Hotel That Accepts FEMA Assistance
When you truly need available lodging under FEMA transitional shelter assistance program, there are a list of participating hotels that can be reached at www.femaevachotels.com. you need to provide your FEMA registration number and then get the hotel address and other information. Then you should search the phone number of the participating hotels and need to know if there is any availability of lodging.
In addition to this, you may use hotel brand reservation contact list to make sure it is statewide available. When lodging is not available, you may also contact the Office of the Governor for your state that has information on current status of emergency shelters. There are also non-profit organizations such as American Red Cross and other organizations that may provide you with emergency shelter as part of hotel availability as well.
Frequently Asked Question
So three are some most frequently asked questions that people always find an answer to. Luckily we have some questions to answer that can help know FEMA program.
Does a survivor have to book their hotel rooms?
Definitely, firstly, people need to be eligible under the Transitional Shelter Assistance program, and they can find and book their own homes. There are listed hotels that participate in FEMA program, and it can be reached at Disasterassistance.gov.
Do disabled people stay in the same hotel conditions?
No. a disaster may bring bad luck for disabled people and they are mostly suffered from any type of disaster. But FEMA participating hotels may be equipped with accommodation for disabled people. The disabled people may check out before confirming. More importantly, different people may have different needs. In case pet owners want to keep their pets, they also need to make sure if the hotel allows pets.
Can I stay in another state?
Disaster-affected areas may indeed face a dire crisis of hotels and motels. In some cases, it may be hard to find the participating hotel near. Then a survivor may have to travel a significant distance to locate an available room that may include searching out of state.
Does FEMA pay other costs such as meals, laundry, and parking?
As said that, FEMA only pays for a hotel room but FEMA will not cover other costs. The survivor needs to arrange another type of cost such as meals. But it is also important to note that they need to know the program and get started.
Does a survivor have to sign anything when check-in?
Surely the survivors need to sign terms and conditions papers while checking in to the participating hotel. This sign explains that they have to follow the guidelines and other program guidelines to remain eligible.
How do I ask FEMA to help me?
There is a hotline number of FEMA and it is 1-800-621-3362. Additionally, you may visit www.fema.gov and get detailed information to get started with the FEMA program.
Final Verdict
A disaster is dreadful for the people who face and lose their house. The pain of the disaster can’t be forgotten as it takes life as well. for this, people living in disaster-prone areas should learn and study emergency shelter processes to make sure they can have immediate help from the different platforms. More importantly, people also should study and research the government program and how this program provides emergency shelter for the people. After getting authentic information at the right time and in the right way can lessen the pain and suffering for the people who are affected by the disaster. The assistance program may not last for a long time or depend on the location and other criteria. Genuinely, you should collect that information according to your location and need. In the same way, you should visit the FEMA website to make sure you can get authentic and right information get started with the application process.