Jason Rule and his girlfriend lost nearly everything when Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated their South Pasadena home—except for a few clothes.

“It was absolutely heartbreaking,” Rule said. “My girlfriend had just beaten breast cancer, and her garden was her therapy. It was completely wiped out. Nothing was salvageable.”

The owners of their rental home ultimately decided to tear it down, leaving them without a place to return to.

“We had nothing left, and no hope of going back,” he said.

With nowhere to go, Rule slept in a friend’s car until they qualified for FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program. The program provided them with temporary housing at the Bilmar Beach Resort on Treasure Island.

“It’s been such a blessing—an overwhelming blessing,” Rule said.

For the past two months, Rule, his girlfriend, and their dog have stayed at the hotel alongside about 85 others in the same program. FEMA reevaluates applicants’ eligibility for TSA every 14 days.

On Tuesday, FEMA determined that 411 households impacted by the storms were no longer eligible for assistance. Despite this, 10,844 households across Florida, including Rule’s, remain in hotels and motels.

“It adds to the stress and anxiety,” Rule said. “Every two weeks, it feels like reliving the storm all over again. It sucks.”

FEMA discontinues TSA eligibility for various reasons, including if a home is deemed safe to occupy, if applicants are already receiving rental assistance, or if another household member is receiving FEMA housing aid. Those who no longer qualify receive notifications via text, email, or phone call seven days before they must check out.

Rule, who works in construction, hopes to move into a home he helped renovate for a client. However, he acknowledges that without FEMA’s program, his future would be uncertain.

“If it weren’t for FEMA and the hotel owners who work with them, I don’t know what we’d do,” he said. “The first two weeks, I was sleeping in a car. I could still be there. But my girlfriend has medical needs, and without help, we’d be completely lost.”

FEMA encourages those no longer eligible for TSA to seek alternative disaster resources, such as additional housing assistance through Activate Hope and the State of Florida’s 211 service. For more information, individuals can call FEMA’s Hotline at 800-621-3362 or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

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(Image credit: TripAdvisor)