Contact: Julia Jarema
Date: January 27, 2012
Phone: (919) 825-2270

State/FEMA Address Housing Challenges for Irene Survivors 

RALEIGH – When Hurricane Irene struck North Carolina six months ago, thousands of families were left temporarily homeless. Since then, the counties, N.C. Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have helped more than 5,900 individuals and families find safe and secure housing.  

FEMA placed 5,452 families in vacant rental properties, which proved the most immediate, cost-effective solution to the housing need. Another 285 families stayed in hotels briefly while they worked to repair their homes. For 194 families, the only real solution was a FEMA mobile home, normally considered a last-resort option.

“There was no easy solution to the housing shortage in many of these communities,” said state Emergency Management Director Doug Hoell. “But the short-term use of the FEMA temporary housing units provided a workable solution for many families.”

Initially, the FEMA trailers were not a viable option for the low-lying areas of eastern North Carolina due to the potential for future flooding.

“Local zoning ordinances and federal policy excludes the use of mobile homes in flood plains,” explained Mike Bolch, FEMA's federal coordinating officer for Hurricane Irene. “We discovered for many families, there was no suitable housing available.”

Together, the impacted counties, state and FEMA developed a compromise. FEMA would install the temporary housing units where they were needed and occupants agreed to move out by April so that FEMA could pick up and move the units before hurricane season begins on June 1. 

Nearly two dozen families already have rebuilt or found other homes. Soon, the remaining individuals and families currently in the units will receive letters reminding them that they have two months left in the FEMA homes.

Bolch said recovery outreach teams are continuing to work with those families to help them find permanent solutions for safe housing. Rental property has been repaired in some communities, making that a viable option in a few areas. Others may need to commute longer distances to find adequate housing.

“We will continue to do everything we can to help these families recover from the storm,” Hoell said. “At the same time, we're preparing for the 2012 hurricane season.”