ORLANDO, Fla. –Florida Hurricane Irma survivors receiving Transitional Sheltering Assistance may receive an extension to stay temporarily in hotels while they look for other places to live.

Hotel stays for eligible survivors have been extended from Sunday, Feb. 11 through Saturday, March 10 with a checkout date of Sunday, March 11. An interim review may determine some participants will be ineligible beyond Saturday, Feb. 24. FEMA automatically notifies eligible applicants. Participants must be registered with FEMA and be eligible for disaster assistance.

FEMA has extended the TSA program five times to accommodate the temporary housing needs of Hurricane Irma survivors. TSA pays the hotel directly for the room and any applicable taxes for short-term stays. TSA participants receive a phone call telling them whether they’re eligible for the extension and what they need to do to remain at their current hotel or find a new hotel. Applicants must meet certain requirements to remain eligible. More than 27,000 households in Florida have participated in the program and about 1,900 remain.

Eligible applicants must find and book their own hotel rooms. The list of participating hotels is on DisasterAssistance.gov and femaevachotels.com or by phoning the FEMA help line at 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585. For 711 or Video Relay Service call 800-621-3362.

Reasons Hurricane Irma survivors may be ineligible for the program include:

• Their home is accessible and determined to be in a condition for safe residency.
• They have insurance and have not provided any documentation regarding award or denial.
• They are not progressing on their long-term housing solution.