As of Friday, Jan. 10, around 3,500 households in North Carolina are set to lose their Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) from FEMA as winter weather storms in.
FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program has provided hotel rooms to thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors in Western North Carolina.
On Jan. 3, FEMA began notifying families that were checked into hotel or motel rooms who are no longer eligible for the program.
This was due to any of the following reasons:
- An inspection found their home is now habitable
- They declined an inspection
- FEMA has been unable to contact the applicant to update their housing needs, despite multiple attempts
As of Jan. 6, more than 5,600 households were staying in hotel or motel rooms paid by FEMA. As many as 2,100 families meet the requirements for the program and will continue to stay in hotels provided by the agency.
FEMA, through the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, directly pays the participating hotels and motels to cover the cost of the room, taxes and non-refundable pet fees to provide short-term accommodations. When eligibility ends, FEMA notifies survivors approximately seven days prior to their checkout date.
Survivors who have questions regarding ineligibility should call FEMA's helpline at 1-800-621-3362 or visit a Disaster Recovery Center to speak with a specialist in person.
Survivors may stay in TSA hotel/motel room provided you remain eligible for TSA:
- Keep in touch with FEMA by keeping your contact information updated.
- Are eligible for FEMA housing assistance.
- An inspection finds a home is unsafe to occupy.
- Have not received rental assistance from FEMA.
- Don’t have insurance that provides coverage for living expenses from the disaster.
- Did not withdraw your FEMA application.
- Comply with the program’s terms and conditions.
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Households checked in TSA as of Jan. 6:
- Alexander County: 35
- Alleghany County: Less than 10
- Ashe County: 63
- Avery County: 55
- Buncombe County: 1,432
- Burke County: 253
- Cabarrus County: 62
- Caldwell County: 181
- Catawba County: 238
- Clay County: 0
- Cleveland County: 316
- Forsyth County: 43
- Gaston County: 487
- Graham County: Less than 10
- Haywood County: 220
- Henderson County: 339
- Iredell County: 88
- Jackson County: 41
- Lee County: Less than 10
- Lincoln County: 91
- Macon County: 18
- Madison County: 56
- McDowell County: 133
- Mecklenburg County: 929
- Mitchell County: 48
- Nash County: 12
- Polk County: 22
- Rowan County: 39
- Rutherford County: 209
- Stanly County: Less than 10
- Surry County: Less than 10
- Swain County: 20
- Transylvania County: 30
- Union County: 24
- Watauga County: 85
- Wilkes County: 33
- Yadkin County: Less than 10
- Yancey County: 32
- STORY & PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC 13 WLOSThousands in NC face uncertainty as FEMA housing aid ends amid winter weather
