AUSTIN, Texas – At the request of the State of Texas, FEMA has extended its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program for Hurricane Harvey survivors by 14 days. The new checkout date for eligible applicants is Oct. 10.
TSA pays for eligible disaster survivors to stay in a hotel or motel for a short time if they live in counties designated for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program and if they are unable to return to their homes due to damage from Hurricane Harvey.
Under the program, FEMA pays directly for the room and any applicable taxes, with the applicants responsible for all other incidental costs (meals, transportation, etc.) Hotels may require a credit card for incidental expenses.
Payment of pet fees or non-refundable pet deposits are permitted if the pet fee and the room charge do not exceed the maximum allowable amount based on the General Services Administration lodging rate for a given locality. The amount of assistance received through TSA does not count against the maximum amount of financial assistance available to applicants in FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP).
TSA participants must be registered with FEMA for disaster assistance. Their eligibility for TSA is determined automatically.
A household of four or fewer members is authorized for one hotel room and a household of five or more is authorized for additional rooms based on a limit of four people per room. One member of each household 18 or older must reside in each room.
TSA-eligible applicants are expected to find and book their own hotel rooms. The list of participating hotels is on DisasterAssistance.gov, under the link Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program – Participating Hotel List or by phoning the FEMA helpline at 800-321-3362. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.
Applicants with disabilities or who have access and functional needs should check with hotels to ensure appropriate accommodations are available. Hotels are required to accept service animals. Applicants with pets must check to see if pets are allowed.
Applicants must show photo identification and adhere to any hotel check-in requirements.
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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS - Video Relay Service) (TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).
The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.
For more information on Hurricane Harvey and Texas recovery, visit the Hurricane Harvey disaster web page, the FEMA Harvey Facebook page, the @FEMARegion6 Twitter account, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website.
