Temporary Housing Archives - ALE Solutions

Welcome Home: Making Your Temporary Home Feel Comfortable and Welcoming

jessica.collette — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 14:00:25 +0000

Human beings are conditioned to have routines and security in their lives. And there are few things we count on more than having a home to return to at the end of a long day. It’s where our family is, all our belongings are, where we sleep, eat, shower, and relax. We take pride in decorating, putting family pictures on walls, and tailoring each room to our taste.

Imagine then, if disaster struck—your house caught fire, or was otherwise damaged in a storm and you had to move out while repairs were done. You would need to move to a temporary home or a hotel. It would be disorienting for sure, but there are ways to make it feel as much like your real home as possible.

Whether you’re settling in for a short-term or long-term stay, here are some recommendations to make the transition a bit smoother:

Accommodation Necessities
If your family requires special accommodations such as handicapped accessible amenities, children attending local schools, a pet friendly environment or need to cook, these items aren’t nice-to-have’s, they’re must-have’s:

Handicapped accessible (1^st floor availability, elevators, no stairs to parking lot, etc.)
Pet friendly (an area close by to walk your pet)
Full kitchen (stove, oven, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher)
Washer and dryer (either in-home or on the premises)
Kid friendly (tub in bathroom, no sharp edges or glass furniture, covered electrical outlets, etc.)

Custom Accommodations
When you want your temporary home to feel and look like your permanent home, consider adding these budget-friendly touches:

Colorful or pattern curtains
Artwork or wall hangings
Photographs in frames
Plants or flowers
Decorative bed and couch pillows
Anything from your old home undamaged

Desirable location
Not only do you want to be in a safe neighborhood, but it’s important for you to be close to familiar things:

Your kids’ schools
Your home pharmacy
Doctors’ offices
Your damaged home (to check on repairs)
Grocery stores
Gas stations

Remember, temporary housing is just that – temporary. Make it as comfortable as you can so it feels like home for as long as you are there.

Experiencing the loss of property and the necessity of moving into temporary housing is never easy. ALE Solutions has over 20 years of experience in providing short-term and long-term temporary housing for displaced policyholders. Our goals are simple: provide families with temporary housing equal in quality to their existing residence and do so within their ALE budget.

If and when you need to secure temporary housing, turn to ALE Solutions, the largest temporary housing provider for displaced families.

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Hotel Kitchen and Cooking Advice

jessica.collette — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 20:29:22 +0000

For extended stays, we recommend having a kitchen in your hotel room. However, many people often do not think about the difference between a kitchenette and a “full kitchen” – at least in hotel terms.

Most extended stay hotels offer a “full kitchen” and come equipped with essentials such as pots and pans, dishes, glasses, utensils, etc. The basic appliances that typically come in a full hotel kitchen are a sink, full-sized refrigerator, stovetop, and dishwasher. Other hotels will offer a kitchenette, which provides a separate area with a mini-fridge, microwave, and usually an extra sink and some counter space.

Note: The majority of hotels with “full kitchens” will offer a stove top, and some offer full ovens.

While your home is undergoing construction, you will likely be spending a good amount of time meeting with contractors. Consequently, you may be pressed for time and be open to some simple solutions to speeding up mealtimes. With this in mind, we suggest planning a few meals that can be cooked on the stove or require no appliances at all.

We recommend buying food that does not need to be cooked and does not spoil easily. Note, often hotels will offer a complimentary breakfast. However, if your hotel does not serve breakfast, you could buy a box of cereal for everyone to share and a couple packs of milk cartons that don’t need refrigeration. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches are a great staple for lunch. Snack packs, crackers, and nuts or seeds can help provide a variety of food at a low cost. Long-lasting fruit like bananas and apples are also easy to eat throughout the day or take out of the hotel.

If you do need dish ware, we recommend you skip the disposable kind and buy a set of sturdy plastic utensils for each family member. Invest in some food storage containers and use them in place of plates and bowls. This way, trash can be eliminated from your room, and leftovers can easily get stored in a fridge or simply sealed for later use. This habit can help keep clean-up quick and easy.

If you require something specific, and before purchasing on your own, we suggest asking your ALE Hotel Solutions Coordinator for a complete list of what will be included in your hotel prior to checking in. If there is something you do need to purchase, be sure to save your receipts.

For more information about post-disaster recovery and temporary housing solutions, please contact ALE Solutions.

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Leases, Nannies and Additional Living Expense

jessica.collette — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 20:24:08 +0000

Tina Jackson, ALE Housing Solutions National Account Manager, continues our series of posts regarding questions relevant to loss of use claims. Tina addresses two common scenarios regarding the insured utilizing their policy’s Additional Living Expense (a.l.e.) over opting to receive a Fair Rental Value (FRV) payout.

Note: As a general rule, when a policyholder is requesting payment for Additional Living Expenses, not all requests are covered, and they must meet certain criteria before they get paid. Of course, we suggest comparing our answers to your specific Additional Living Expense policies.

Learn How ALE Works with Nannies & Leases

Q. A family rents an apartment for one year at $1,000 per month with the full knowledge that there is a one-month lease break fee. After five months, the family’s damaged home is repaired and ready for them to move back in. Does insurance cover the fee?

A. The early termination fee would be a covered expense as the homeowner would not need to pay it as part of their normal living expense. Signing a one-year lease would typically allow the policyholder/insurance company to take advantage of a lower rate from the start of the lease. Paying a termination fee once the policyholder can move back into the damaged residence may be more cost effective than signing a short-term lease and paying a premium. In my experience, the average 3-month lease term is extended at least once due to unforeseen delays in the repair process. Each extension on a short-term lease is subject to a short-term premium. To alleviate the issue, the insurance adjuster could agree to a one year lease with a termination fee.

Q. The family has a live-in nanny. Will you pay for a separate hotel room for the nanny?
A. Additional Living Expense is typically extended to any “member” of the family that lives in the home at the time of loss. So, nannies living in the damaged residence at the time of loss would be covered under the policy for the additional living expense. If the live-in nanny had their own room in the damaged residence, they would be allowed a private room in a temporary residence (in most cases depending on the coverage amounts), be it a hotel or longer-term temporary housing. Each insurance company handles these situations differently, and it is something you should discuss with your insurance adjuster.

I LOVE MY JOB because “Working at ALE Solutions has been and continues to be a blessing in my life! I work with an awesome group of people, and the leadership is wonderful! I have built strong relationships inside and outside of the office.” – Tina

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The Importance of Home & Renters Insurance

jessica.collette — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 16:36:44 +0000

Some people overlook the importance of obtaining homeowners or renters insurance because they are not aware of exactly how critical it is to have this type of protection. The reality is that a basic homeowners or renters insurance policy is relatively inexpensive, and it can help you deal with a long list of issues ranging from a burglary to a natural disaster. In fact, the cost of a policy is quickly outweighed by the potentially catastrophic losses that can be avoided by having a current policy in place.

What Are the Benefits of Renters Insurance?

Whether you are renting a home or an apartment, you need to be aware that your landlord’s insurance does not cover any of your personal belongings. In other words, if something happens that destroys your possessions, you will need renters insurance to help you replace everything without dealing with a lot of out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, you can be held personally liable if someone gets injured while visiting you. However, the liability coverage portion of your policy can be used to pay for at least part of the applicable medical bills and legal expenses. It is also important to note that renters insurance provides you with some protection if you accidentally start a fire or flood that causes extensive damage to the property.

What Are the Benefits of Homeowners Insurance?

Homeowners insurance will provide you with all of the same basic benefits that were listed above for a renters insurance policy, but it also extends to the house itself. What this means is that if a fire burns your home to the ground, you can use your homeowners insurance to help you replace your belongings and to rebuild the house. A good policy can also provide coverage for issues such as spoiled food from a power outage.

Other Important Things to Note

Both policy types will typically give you basic living expenses if your home or apartment becomes uninhabitable for a brief period. These expenses could include temporary housing options and food while you wait for your home to become habitable again. You will also have coverage if a thief steals anything from you, regardless of whether the stolen item was located in your home, car or storage.

As you can see, even a basic policy is a wise investment for homeowners and renters. With all of the things that could potentially go wrong on a daily basis, it simply makes good sense to protect yourself from incurring large expenses due to damaged belongings, personal liability or theft.

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Your Temporary Housing Claim in 5 Simple Steps

jessica.collette — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:51:36 +0000

It’s the position no one wants to be in—your home is uninhabitable and you need to find temporary housing. Your belongings may have been misplaced or destroyed, and your only goal right now is to find a place to stay until you can return home. ALE Solutions, the trusted leader in temporary housing is here to help you throughout your temporary housing process.

Here are ALE Solutions’ 5 key steps in securing temporary housing:

Step 1: Contact your ALE Solutions Relocation Specialist
ALE Solutions experienced relocation specialists will guide you through the process to help you secure temporary housing. You will receive a unique, toll-free number to contact your specialist, even if it is after hours. Your relocation specialist will discuss your specific housing requirements with you, then present options within 24 hours.

Step 2: View and approve your temporary home
Your ALE Solutions Relocation Specialist will present your options to you and coordinate the showings of temporary housing properties. Once you choose your property and it is approved by your adjuster, ALE will arrange for you to sign your lease. If your property is in need of furniture or appliances, your relocation specialist will facilitate the items needed prior to your move-in date.

Step 3: Move-in day!
To help your move-in day go smoothly, your ALE Relocation Specialist will provide you with a move-in checklist to ensure the property is as you expected. You will be contacted by ALE shortly after move-in to make sure you are comfortable in your new home. If you need to stay past your lease term, ALE Solutions will facilitate the extension paperwork needed once we have your adjuster’s approval.

Step 4: Reimbursement of expenses
The MyALE HOME mobile app manages all aspects of your living expenses. Our mobile application is available on Apple and Android devices. You can easily upload your out-of-pocket living expenses for reimbursement, and view real-time receipt history.

Step 5: Move back home
It’s the day you have been waiting for—your home has been restored! All details for your move-out day from temporary housing will be conducted by your relocation specialist. A move-out checklist will be provided to you to assist in the recovery of your security deposit.

Congratulations on moving back home and thank you for letting ALE Solutions help assist you during this difficult time. Learn more about your ALE Solutions team today.

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