I joined FlyerTalk because as a survivor of Hurricane Sandy in New York City, I desperately need a strategy and am looking for ideas. My family has been in a FEMA hotel since November 19 (we paying out of pocket for hotels before that and runnning back and forth between DC and New York staying with friends prior to that).
The FEMA situation is so stressful.
Every week or so they make us move rooms and only do approves for like 10-14 day stretches.
We're always living out of the suitcase and it's just too much. I sent my kid to stay with my out of town relatives because I finally found an apartment for a decent monthly fee - but then FEMA ran out of money and only got $9 billion approved by congress. They're telling us that another $50B is coming but in the interim didn't refund the $5500 we've already spend on hotels, travel back and forth from DC to NY, food, clothes, etc.
The $50B hasn't come yet so on January 27, 2013, we - like thousands of other families - were told that our hotel stays were NOT extended. We had to again pay out of pocket for hotels. I managed to earn some Priority Club points before all of this and am down to 30,000 and 18,000 with Hyatt GoldPass. That equates to ONE NIGHT in New York City.
We cannot return home to the apartment because my kid was born premature with respitatory issues and the apartment now has mold, mildew and just found abesestos in the building.
FEMA is trying to say if we don't go back to the apartment, they won't extend our TSA help (hotel) when the funds become available. They also won't pay for the new apartment (first/last/security) or reimburse us for the $5500 we've spent out of pocket because we should go back to the apartment. If we go back, my child could get really sick or worse.
It's become obvious that we'll likely have to relocate to DC.
The problem is that I am a freelance writer covering the New York Knicks who are doing great this year. Luckily, I was able to only cover home games this season due to everything but that will still mean that I'll have to go back and forth between DC and NY on game nights. I'm told it will be about two-three weeks before they will pay for the new apartment that I found because it has to be approved.
Clearly, this is a rock and a hard place.
I have to be in New York most of this week (I'm in DC in a $60 a night hotel right now due to check out today but may have to extend it.) Looking for options on how to make this work until the apartment comes through.
(Thanks for letting me vent. It's super stressful but after seeing the Super Bowl and thinking about the Katrina victims in New Orleans, I decided I have to stay positive and look for other options).^
Thanks guys!