North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein sent a letter Thursday to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell asking to extend its shelter program for those displaced by Hurricane Helene for six more months.
Last week, FEMA said it would stop paying for hotel rooms for 3,500 people who were no longer eligible for temporary shelter assistance.
The agency extended the deadline multiple times after complaints from the public and politicians that some people had no housing to return to, and the severe winter weather prohibited safe travel.
The current deadline for those who were initially found ineligible is Jan. 25t. FEMA says people who received an ineligibility notification and still need housing assistance should call the helpline at 1-800-621-3362.