**Flooding from Tropical Storm Helene Leaves Asheville Residents Displaced, Long-Term Housing Solutions Under Discussion**
ASHEVILLE – The aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene has left a wide range of housing types—houses, apartments, trailers, and condos—severely damaged or destroyed by flooding. Many of the affected residents remain in temporary accommodations, such as hotels, as local, state, and federal agencies, including Buncombe County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), begin to explore long-term housing solutions.
According to FEMA Assistant Federal Coordinating Officer Hannah Vick, more than 1,500 Buncombe County residents are still staying in hotels. However, the actual number of displaced individuals may be even higher, as some people are temporarily staying with friends or family before seeking more permanent housing.
“The recovery process for some families is not always straightforward,” Vick explained. “They may be staying with loved ones now, but in a week or two, they might call us saying they need a place to live.”
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, hotels opened their doors to displaced residents. FEMA soon made it possible for residents to apply for assistance to cover hotel costs. The agency has also been working to place survivors in short-term rentals, even asking second-home owners to offer their properties to those in need.
During a recent county commission meeting, Commissioner Al Whitesides raised concerns about whether hotels would continue to accommodate displaced residents when the tourist season returns next summer. County Manager Avril Pinder assured that hotels are being paid “fair market rate” and will continue to be used for housing as needed.
FEMA is also evaluating the possibility of bringing temporary housing units to approximately 400 properties across the county. However, some of these sites may not be suitable for new or temporary housing due to storm damage. Most of the potential sites are commercial properties, which already have utilities and infrastructure in place, making them more viable for temporary housing solutions.
“We might place manufactured housing units on pre-existing commercial pads,” Vick said, adding that FEMA is also considering the option of establishing “group sites” where multiple manufactured homes could be set up for displaced residents.
Housing for displaced individuals is often one of the most challenging issues for local and federal officials to address. After previous hurricanes like Matthew and Florence, some North Carolina residents waited years for FEMA buyouts, while others faced difficulties with the state’s Rebuild NC fund.
Although there is no set timeline for when temporary housing units will be established, discussions on how to develop these sites are already underway. Vick emphasized that the goal is to get people into longer-term housing solutions as quickly as possible. Pinder added that the county anticipates the need for a group site to accommodate displaced residents.
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*Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a [subscription](https://cm.citizen-times.com/specialoffer?gps-source=CPNEWS&utm_medium=onsite&utm_source=news&utm_campaign=NEWSROOM&utm_content=ElizabethAnneBrown) to the Citizen Times.*
Source: citizen-times.com