Emergency lodging

Emergency lodging may be used by federal or state government agencies who ask to become an authorized user of the blanket purchase agreement, or BPA. Once you become an authorized BPA user, you can issue orders to use our Emergency Lodging Services program, which quickly secures lodging accommodations and support services due to a declared disaster or emergency for:

• Federal agencies
• State and local governments
• Recognized tribal governments
• First responders
• Displaced disaster or emergency evacuees

The BPA includes a unilateral right to add additional users at no cost.

How to become a BPA authorized user

1. Determine your eligibility

   You are an employee of a federal, state, or local government, including federally recognized tribal agencies and entities. Government contractors cannot be authorized users.

2. Submit the intake form

   Complete and submit the ELS Authorized User Intake Form to be an authorized user. Your submission must identify at least one contracting officer as support. You will be notified via email once we’ve made you an authorized user.

3. After authorization

   Submit your completed SF-1449 form to CLC at rapidresponse@clclodging.com. You can use the task order template [PDF - 194 KB] to frame out the necessary information CLC requires and simplify your order. The task order must include your requirements, payment, and reporting and auditing requirements. Payment of all services under the task order is your responsibility. You can call the CLC Rapid Response team at 800-321-0455 if you prefer calling instead of completing the form.

For full details, see the Emergency Lodging blanket purchase agreement [PDF - 912 KB]. For the full ordering process, continue below. If you have any questions, contact marcus.witowski@gsa.gov or 202-740-3250.

How to use ELS

We recommend being prepared and planning ahead for emergencies. Follow the steps to become an authorized user, above, to get started.

Program goals

• Avoid intra-government competition for scarce lodging facilities needed by survivors and responders.
• Establish key points of contact and key requirements before an emergency declaration.

Reasons to use ELS

• Leverage the government’s buying power
• Rapidly respond personnel deployment
• Quickly expedite lodging orders
• Capitalize on years of experience in emergency lodging management

The ordering process

1. Your agency places a fully executed funded task order, SF-1449, with CLC.
2. CLC negotiates rates with a hotel or multiple hotels after you send the requirements — through the form or a phone call — for a specific mission or emergency.
3. CLC contract negotiators locate rooms from existing hotel databases or find other hotels that meet your needs.
4. You receive reservation details once the negotiators set up the hotel(s).
5. The billing process with the hotel(s) is established based on the process indicated on your task order.
6. Guests check in at the hotel.
7. The hotel submits invoices to CLC for payment.
8. CLC audits and processes the invoices, summarizes the bill by Disaster Number or Task Order number, and then electronically bills you for payment, including any service fees, Industrial Funding Fees, and taxes.
9. Your agency pays CLC per task order requirements.
10. CLC remits payment to the hotel.
11. Unused funds on the task order are deobligated back to your agency.

What you can expect

The contractor secures accommodations and ancillary services for federal agencies, state and local governments, first responders, support personnel, and any other authorized user of the service to include private citizens and their pets. The most urgent needs result from hurricanes, wildfires, and declared national emergencies.

Accommodations are at any facility deemed safe and comfortable, including, hotels, motels, apartments, college dormitories, cruise lines, religious camps, and retreats. Your agency may direct which types of accommodations are preferred in their task order with CLC.

Your agency can also request in the task order ancillary services in response to an emergency, disaster or national security event, such as meeting rooms or services, food services, supplies, planning services, support services, and preparedness operations. 

The contractor is also responsible for:

• A centralized service to place orders 24/7.
• A documented and consistent billing and payment process.
• Reporting of all lodging or housing usage, services purchased, and fees.

For hotels or apartments that want to participate in ELS

Please visit Corporate Lodging Consultants. You may also contact the Emergency Lodging Services hotline at 800-321-0455.

An evacuee can either be a federal employee or a private citizen who has been displaced from their workplace or home by a disaster or emergency, and as result, requires lodging. Specific determinations of evacuee or relief and emergency support personnel status will be determined by the ordering agency.

For those on TDY who want to use ELS

Whether you can use the ELS BPA depends if you are on temporary duty travel in an area determined by your agency to be affected by an emergency, disaster, or associated planned event. You must first check with the appropriate officials within your agency. If your TDY is confirmed to be affected by an emergency, disaster, or an associated planned event, your agency may authorize you to use this BPA due to the difficulty of securing lodging accommodations.

If you are on TDY travel in an area that your agency has determined is NOT impacted by an emergency, disaster, or an associated planned event you must use your approved travel management system. You should use your normal travel management systems for routine TDY travel.