ORLANDO, Fla. – It has been 42 days since Hurricane Maria destroyed the island of Puerto Rico.
Thousands of Puerto Ricans are making their way to Florida as parts of the island remain without power and water. Many of them searching for jobs and a place to live.
Housing is a major concern for evacuees in the Central Florida area.
FEMA is hoping to address those concerns with the announcement of its Transition Housing Assistance.
The program offers free hotel stays to people who qualify. But that process could take up to a week.
While potential recipients wait, the Heart of Florida United Way is stepping in to help with emergency housing.
"What we have been able to do is secure some hotel rooms on an emergency, last-resort basis and we have been trying to put people up at a week at a time," said Heart of Florida United Way CEO Jeff Hayward.
So far, the United Way has spent $51,000 helping evacuees with emergency housing, but Hayward said that's just not sustainable.
"We raised as much as we could but after the hurricane quite honestly folks move on. We have not seen any more contributions come in lately," Hayward said.
Another concern is employment.
Hayward said United Way has been working to place people in jobs.
On Wednesday, CareerSource Central Florida, a company aimed at helping people find work, held a job fair of its own.
"This is a service to the community. We're doing this at no cost. Employers are coming here," said CareerSource Central Florida Business Consultant, Eduardo Rivero.
Close to 400 job seekers brought their applications to the center.
Wednesday's foot traffic is a third of what CareerSource Central Florida sees in an entire month with some people getting interviews on the spot.
"I am a father. I have two kids. Like I said, it affects me. Our goal is to put people to work and seeing the amount of response from employers and job seekers. It's been fantastic," Rivero said.
Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, along with Osceola County commission chairman Brandon Arrington and Seminole County commission chairman John Horan, sent a letter to the state's emergency management department asking for a comprehensive plan from them and FEMA.
The letter said, in part, "We have received calls from members of the state Legislature making requests for shelters and offering ideas for housing. Local media is reporting that they have made numerous inquiries of the state DEM regarding housing plans for evacuees, yet they are not receiving a response. Emergency management staff and several of us personally have been asking for both the short and long-term housing plan, to no avail. In the absence of a plan, there is the strong potential for chaos and United States citizens from Puerto Rico deserve better."
News 6 contacted the Florida Division of Emergency Management to get a comment and answers to the housing concerns.
In a statement, a representative said, "The state proactively and aggressively sought and secured a host state agreement from FEMA to provide 100 percent reimbursement for sheltering efforts, which is a local function. As communities develop their local plans, the state stands ready to help with solutions. We will continue to work with our federal and local partners to explore all available options with regards to housing Hurricane Maria survivors."
The representative added that hotel vouchers are available through FEMA for those who qualify.
But in terms of the long term housing solution, a plan has yet to be solidified.
For more information about upcoming job fairs via CareerSource Central Florida, visit their website at careersourcecentralflorida.com.
For more information about participating hotels through FEMA, visit www.femaevachotels.com/index.php.