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Puerto Rican evacuees rally to extend shelter program

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Some Puerto Rican evacuees and residents joined together to rally for the thousands of evacuees who could be left homeless when their Federal Emergency Management Agency temporary shelter assistance ends.

The rally happened just a week before the assistance ends and the same day Sen. Bill Nelson (D) met with local leaders to talk about the issue.

Activists along with evacuees said they don't want to be homeless and want help in transitioning to life in Central Florida.

The main problem they're bumping into is affordable housing.

"We (couldn’t) work right away and it's really not realistic. It's really not," said Ariana Colon.

Colon left Puerto Rico with her boyfriend and son in December.

She's one of 197 families in Orange County that Activists for Puerto Rican Evacuees say will be left on the streets once their temporary shelter assistance ends.

On Friday, different activist groups came to rally for evacuees living in hotels.

Their goal was to demand Gov. Rick Scott help families get into affordable housing.

They said most crisis areas are given at least 18 months to transition.

Activists for Puerto Rican Evacuees said FEMA is currently helping 631 families.

More than 200 of those families are in Osceola County.

Nelson and Puerto Rico's former governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla discussed how they want to help evacuees, but said the ball is no longer in their court.

“Even though I filed a bill to re-activate the disaster housing assistance program, if the administration does not want to, they’re in control, they’re the majority,” Nelson said.

Nelson is referring to a bill he filed in May. 
The bill stated FEMA would be required to activate its disaster housing assistance program to provide housing assistance to evacuees.

The governor’s office released a statement that said, "While TSA (Temporary Shelter Assistance) decisions are made by the Puerto Rican government and implemented by FEMA, Gov. Scott has continued to do all he can to ensure state resources are available to help families in need.”