Nearly 1,800 Puerto Rican families were checked into hotels under the FEMA program this week, agency spokesman Juan Rosado-Reynés said in a statement.
There were 1,229 staying in hotels and motels on the mainland and 534 in Puerto Rico, according to FEMA.
“We continue working closely with disaster survivors to connect them with the most appropriate housing resources to meet their disaster-related needs,” the FEMA statement said.
In late January, four months after the devastating September storm, more than 3,000 displaced Puerto Ricans were living in hotels across 40 states, according to FEMA. Their eligibility for transitional housing was re-evaluated every 30 days. The agency has said the program is meant to provide emergency housing in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
Participants were ineligible for FEMA hotel vouchers if their homes in Puerto Rico were found to be livable after inspection, or if FEMA found they had other viable housing options, such as friends they could live with, among other requirements, according to agency officials.
In New York, officials said 108 families who will lose their FEMA housing assistance Saturday will be connected “via Catholic Charities … to housing, social services, and educational supports.” The average household includes three people.
