On Monday, FEMA announced that Hurricane Ian survivors who suffered damage to their property have additional time to apply for federal disaster assistance, with the application deadline extended to Jan. 12, 2023.
The agency also announced that more than $2.69 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments has been provided to the state of Florida and households after Hurricane Ian. FEMA has provided $752 million to households and $327 million to the state for emergency response and recovery, while the U.S. Small Business Administration has provided $962 million in disaster loans and the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $652 million in claims.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to eligible survivors. Floridians can file a claim for loss of income caused by Hurricane Ian by going to Disaster Unemployment Assistance – FloridaJobs.org and selecting “Apply for Hurricane Ian DUA,” visiting a local CareerSource Career Center, or calling 800-385-3920. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
Also, FEMA is hiring for more than 300 jobs in Brandon, Fort Myers, Kissimmee, Orlando and Sarasota. These positions are full-time, 120-day appointments that may be extended depending on operational needs. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online through USAJobs.gov.
FEMA is providing temporary housing to eligible Hurricane Ian survivors in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Lee and Sarasota counties. FEMA approved Direct Temporary Housing Assistance to provide options for those whose homes are uninhabitable because of the hurricane. FEMA determined that rental assistance is insufficient to meet the housing need in those counties because of a lack of available housing resources. FEMA will notify applicants who are eligible for direct housing. It will take time to transport, permit, install and inspect these units before they are available. Direct Temporary Housing Assistance may be provided for up to 18 months from Sept. 29, 2022, the date of the federal disaster declaration, to March 28, 2024.