DeSantis announces temporary housing and $5,000 grants for hurricane-hit first responders
Pensacola, Florida – Two families displaced by Hurricane Isaias are receiving temporary shelter trailers, while eight first responders whose homes were affected by the storm will receive $5,000 each under assistance efforts announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Speaking at The Salvation Army Multi-Agency Resource Center in Pensacola, DeSantis outlined the support as response and recovery operations continue across Northwest Florida. The announcements address two needs: temporary housing for residents facing significant storm damage and financial assistance for responders who continued working despite losses at home.
The first two trailers were awarded through a partnership between Emergency RV and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. The initiative provides temporary shelter to eligible residents whose homes sustained significant hurricane damage.
“Thanks to our partnership with Emergency RV, we have started providing travel trailers to Floridians displaced by significant hurricane damage, so they have a safe place to live while they rebuild,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We’re also committed to helping the first responders whose homes were impacted by the storm and still showed up to serve their communities. With funding from the Florida Sheriffs Association, we are providing these first responders with $5,000 each to show our gratitude.”
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Emergency RV, a nonprofit that provides temporary shelter to people affected by disasters, is working with state emergency management officials on the housing effort. Nearly 300 applications have been received, according to the governor’s announcement.
Residents seeking assistance can apply at EmergencyRV.org. The trailers are intended to give qualifying individuals and families somewhere to live while they rebuild after being displaced.
The announcement identified the two awards as the first under the initiative. It did not provide a schedule for additional trailer placements or indicate how many of the applications received had been approved.
Separately, the eight first responders receiving financial assistance serve in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Each was personally affected by the hurricane but continued helping their community during the response.
Their one-time grants total $40,000. The assistance is being provided through a partnership involving the Florida Disaster Fund and Volunteer Florida, in coordination with the Florida Sheriffs Association.
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The grants are intended both to recognize the responders’ continued service and to provide support for their own recovery. That assistance accompanies the broader work underway to assess storm damage and identify needs throughout affected communities.
Florida is also awaiting a federal decision on its request for a Major Disaster Declaration. The request includes Public Assistance for 15 counties and Individual Assistance for eligible residents in eight counties.
Approval would make additional federal recovery assistance available to qualifying communities and individuals. Those resources remain contingent on the federal decision; the announcement did not report that the requested declaration had been approved.
Meanwhile, recovery teams continue working in the field, assessing damage and gathering information about what communities need. The temporary housing placements and responder grants represent assistance being announced while that assessment work and the federal review continue.
Residents can find information about Hurricane Isaias and available recovery resources at floridadisaster.org/updates. The Florida Division of Emergency Management also shares updates through its social media channels.
