TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The State of Florida activated the transitional sheltering assistance program on Saturday to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian.
In the Tampa Bay region, people in Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties are eligible to receive assistance from the program, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a news release.
“Many Floridians lost their homes in the blink of an eye,” FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie said in a statement. “Activating the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program is just another step in the long line of actions we will continue to take to ensure we are easing Floridians’ recovery processes as much as possible. We encourage every impacted resident to apply for Individual Assistance, and every eligible individual to utilize TSA.”
Other counties across the state that are eligible to apply for TSA are listed below:
- Charlotte
- Collier
- DeSoto
- Flagler
- Lake
- Lee
- Orange
- Osceola
- Putnam
- Seminole
- St. Johns
- Volusia
People in the listed counties and have applied for disaster assistance may also be eligible to shelter in a hotel or motel paid for by FEMA, according to FDEM.
Those who cannot return to their home because of insurance, shelter or rental assistance provided by FEMA or another agency may also be eligible for TSA.
To apply for FEMA assistance, visit disasterassistance.gov, call 800-621-3362 or use the FEMA mobile app.
Disaster recovery centers are also open in Charlotte, Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties. Each includes more than 10 agencies to help people or businesses recover from the storm.
DRCs are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can see their locations across the state below:
Charlotte County
Home Depot - 12621 S. McCall Rd., Port Charlotte
Collier County
Veterans Community Park - 1895 Veterans Park Dr., Naples
Lee County
Joseph P.D Alessandro Office Complex - 2295 Victoria Ave., Fort Myers
Lakes Regional Library - 15290 Bass Rd., Fort Myers
Sarasota County
Shannon Staub Library - 4675 Career Lane, North Port