BRANDON, Fla — Communities in Hardee and Sarasota counties can now apply for FEMA Direct Temporary Housing Assistance.
This comes after approval was announced on Friday. The counties join Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto and Lee counties which were previously approved.
"FEMA determined that rental assistance is insufficient to meet the housing need in those counties because of a lack of available housing resources," the government agency said in a news release.
After people apply, FEMA will notify the applicants who are eligible for direct housing. FEMA said it will "take time to transport, permit, install and inspect these units before they are available."
Here's what's provided through the Direct Housing Program:
- Multi-Family Lease and Repair, where FEMA enters into a lease agreement with the owner of multi-family rental properties and makes repairs to provide temporary housing for applicants.
- Transportable Temporary Housing Units such as a travel trailer or manufactured home.
- Direct Lease, which is leasing existing ready-for-occupancy housing.
The program is available for up to 18 months from Sept. 29, 2022, the death of the federal disaster declaration, to March 28, 2024.
"Direct temporary housing takes significant time to implement and is not an immediate solution for a survivor's interim and longer-term housing needs," FEMA says.
The agency has started contacting some registered applicants who are also urged to reach out if they need help before the trailers and mobile homes are available.
"They (home units) will come in sometime in early November and we will start making sure that they are distributed quickly into the community," said Renee Bafalis with FEMA.
If someone is unsure and wishes to verify that indeed a FEMA agent is on the other end of the line, before giving out their social security number, individuals should ask the caller for the applicant registration. This would be the number they were provided with by the agency upon initially registering for assistance.
If trailers are unable to fit in a family's yard, FEMA will assign them to trailers in a designated mobile park or one specifically set up for displaced families.
"If they have space on their property, we have to have people come out to inspect the property, to make sure that there's no debris, that they have water sewer and power hookups and that there are no electrical lines hanging above," said Bafalis.
Due to a high volume of demand, there is an expected waiting period.
Apply online by clicking here, or by using the FEMA app. Applicants can also call 800-621-3362.