OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has said they’ll pay hotel and motel costs for people living in Florida counties hit hardest by Hurricane Ian.
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However, residents in Osceola County say they’re still waiting to find out just how soon they’ll be able to leave the shelters they’ve had to live in since the storm.
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FEMA says they can’t provide a specific timeline for when those vouchers will be distributed, but claims the files are being processed.
Meanwhile, FEMA’s assurances aren’t much comfort for people left waiting more than a week after Hurricane Ian.
“It’s hard to get yourself situated in a shelter,” Osceola County resident Legna Gomez said.
Gomez has been living in a shelter since Hurricane Ian left her with no place else to go last week.
“The FEMA inspector came out. He said we can’t stay there,” Gomez said.
Florida: We activated Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA). Survivors from the designated counties can apply for disaster assistance & may be eligible to shelter in a hotel or motel paid by us.
— FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) October 7, 2022
Apply here: https://t.co/qJkVAZLO0v
More information: https://t.co/oPfuj8FomE pic.twitter.com/1mCa4pLTI4
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Gomez says she works at a daycare, but has had to take leave from her job to get her living situation settled first.
“I don’t know if anybody is going to come here, try to help us get assistance, and I’m not here,” Gomez said.
She’s hopeful FEMA will provide them with a hotel voucher in the meantime.
When asked about the vouchers, a FEMA representative released a statement saying, in part, “...files for people eligible are being processed, but there’s no timeline for when it will happen.”
Meanwhile, people like Gomez are left waiting and wondering when that help will arrive.
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“We need a place to stay,” Gomez said. “We’re doing the best we can.”
FEMA officials say people eligible for assistance will be updated on their status through the same method of communication listed when they applied for assistance.
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