State of Florida Places First Travel Trailer in New Temporary Housing and Sheltering Program for Hurricane Ian Survivors
Today, Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Director Kevin Guthrie joined Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis in Punta Gorda to announce state funding for building materials to allow verified volunteer organizations to conduct temporary and permanent repairs on homes damaged by Hurricane Ian. During the event, Director Guthrie announced that the first travel trailer in the new, state-led temporary housing and sheltering program has been placed on Pine Island in Lee County. The impacted family will move into the temporary unit once Lee County completes its final safety inspections. Full remarks from this morning can be found here.
The first travel trailer in the state-led temporary housing and sheltering program was placed yesterday, December 4, on a survivor’s property in Pine Island.
“The state-led temporary housing and sheltering program is another ‘Florida First’ thanks to the Governor’s leadership and dedication to finding efficient solutions that help Floridians get back on their feet following Hurricane Ian,” said FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie. “Moving impacted families into these temporary units on their own property allows them to remain in their communities and take the time to fix their damaged homes or find other permanent housing solutions.”
The state-led temporary housing and sheltering program is in addition to FEMA’s multiple housing assistance programs, including Direct Temporary Housing in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee and Sarasota counties. The state’s program supports survivors in all 26 FEMA Individual Assistance-designated counties whose homes are uninhabitable. This short-term, 6-month program prioritizes the placement of travel trailers and recreational vehicles on private property so that survivors can safely plan their next recovery steps in their communities and transition into longer-term housing.
Survivors applying for temporary housing and sheltering solutions should first apply for FEMA Assistance to avoid a duplication of benefits by the state. Apply by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov or calling the Disaster Assistance Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
To apply for state-led housing recovery programs, residents can visit the Unite Florida Hurricane Ian Recovery Portal at IanRecovery.fl.gov/Unite or call 1-800-892-0948.
Updated: Monday, December 5, 2022
