Pro Bono News

FEMA lauches Sheltering Assistance Program for Flood Victims

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

  • FEMA
  • Source: Misc National Sites > National Disaster Legal Aid - OLD2

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), at the request of the State of Colorado, has activated its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which allows eligible evacuees of the state’s severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides whose neighborhoods are not accessible or whose houses have been destroyed to stay in a hotel or motel for a limited time and have the cost of the room and taxes paid directly to the hotel by FEMA.

To be eligible for the TSA program, evacuees must meet the following criteria:

They must have registered with FEMA for assistance;
Their primary residence must be in one of the counties that has been designated a disaster area and is designated for TSA;
Their primary residence is inaccessible or unlivable; and
FEMA must be able to verify their identity.
The initial period of assistance is from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6, 2013. Meals, telephone calls and other incidental charges are not covered, and applicants are responsible for any lodging costs above the authorized allowance. The program does not reimburse previously incurred hotel expenses.



Through Oct. 6, a phone message will notify eligible applicants of the 89 Colorado hotels partnering with this program. The goal is to provide safe, sanitary and secure locations until long-term housing needs can be met.

Register with FEMA by phone:  800-621-FEMA (3362). People who have a speech disability or are deaf or hard of hearing may call (TTY) 800-462-7585; users of 711 or Video Relay Service can call 800-621-3362. Help is available in many languages.

Register online:  www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

Register by Web-enabled device, tablet or smartphone: type m.fema.gov in the browser.