Asheville residents call on FEMA to extend housing aid for Hurricane Helene victims

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- On Wednesday, Jan. 8, people gathered at Pack Square in downtown Asheville to demand Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) extend temporary housing assistance for victims of Helene.

FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which offers free hotel rooms, originally ended Jan. 12 unless FEMA grants an individual extension. It has since been extended to Jan. 14.

Maryjo Tucker said she was displaced by the storm and has been waiting for the inspection from FEMA for quite some time now.

"I'm still waiting on the inspection through FEMA and I called them yesterday as a matter of fact and she said, 'Yes, you have an inspection due, don't know whether they're going to contact you. However, you need to be out by Saturday,'" said Tucker. "Come this Saturday, I'm going to use my paycheck Friday and I've already been in contact with the animal shelter to take my dog because I'm not going to put my dog out here in these streets, you know. I don't even know what's going to happen in two days, not to be able to sleep in a bed or be warm at night, you know."

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According to FEMA, if a household has a pending inspection, they are still eligible for Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

See FEMA's full statement below:

"Our inspectors have returned nearly 91,500 inspections and are about 98 percent complete with current inspection requests. At this time, it is taking between 4-5 days to fulfill an inspection request. One of the reasons TSA was extended for everyone in hotels through the holidays was to allow for additional time for inspections to be completed. (The holiday extension) also provided additional time to continue and finish repairs and/or for families to find longer-term housing. Cumulatively nearly 13,000 households in NC have checked into hotels through the TSA program. That means about 7,000 households have already checked out and been able to return home or found alternate, longer-term housing."

FEMA officials said notifications began on Jan. 3 to individuals checked into hotel rooms who were no longer eligible for the program due to the following reasons:

1. An inspection indicated their home is now habitable.
2. They declined an inspection.
3. (FEMA officials) have been unable to contact the applicant to update their housing needs, despite multiple attempts.

Officials said that as of Jan. 6, more than 5,600 households were staying in hotel or motel rooms paid for by FEMA, and approximately 2,100 families meet the requirements for the program and are allowed to stay in hotels provided by the agency. However, it said nearly 3,500 households do not meet eligibility due to the reasons identified above.

Additional Background

Through the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, FEMA pays directly to participating hotels and motels to cover the cost of the room, taxes and non-refundable pet fees to provide short-term accommodations.

FEMA confirms continued eligibility on an individual basis. When eligibility ends, FEMA notifies survivors approximately seven days prior to their checkout date.

Survivors need to keep in touch with FEMA, provide regular updates on housing their status and update contact information so their recovery process is not delayed.

Survivors who have questions regarding ineligibility should call the helpline at 1-800-621-3362 or visit a Disaster Recovery Center to speak with a specialist in person.

Click here to find a center with the DRC Locator or a list of centers in North Carolina.

Eligibility for TSA:

• Keep in touch with FEMA by keeping your contact information updated.
• Are eligible for FEMA housing assistance.
• An inspection finds a home is unsafe to occupy.
• Have not received rental assistance from FEMA.
• Don't have insurance that provides coverage for living expenses from the disaster.
• Did not withdraw your FEMA application.
• Comply with the program's terms and conditions.

FEMA cannot provide duplicate benefits.