HICKORY, N.C. — Dozens of FEMA homes and travel trailers sit empty near Hickory Regional Airport, while over 2,700 families remain in motels in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
Despite the urgent need for housing, FEMA has delivered 108 homes, but many remain unoccupied.
There are 50 FEMA mobile homes and travel trailers at an RV park near Old Fort.
A woman in Morganton, who is raising her two grandchildren, expressed gratitude for receiving a FEMA home after her house was destroyed by flooding and fire during Helene.
“Very, very thankful because we were homeless because we didn’t have anywhere to go after it burnt and flooded,” said the woman who didn’t want to be identified. “We didn’t have anywhere to go.”
Faherty spotted a FEMA trailer along the Catawba River in Burke County and nine more have been placed at a mobile home park in Lenoir.
Neighbors say the homes began arriving in mid-December but are empty.
“It makes me mad because there are families that need homes,” said resident Destiny Mitchell. “They have kids, they have … sorry, it’s emotional but there are people who really need this.”
FEMA says preparing the homes is a complex process that includes “ordering, installation, permitting, utility hookups and inspections.”
Finding suitable locations, such as a commercial park or an RV campground can also be challenging.
Cindy Blackstone now lives in a trailer donated by a stranger from Georgia. Her home along Mill Creek was washed away by the storm.
“They (FEMA) wanted to know if I’d move 50 miles away on one call and then they wanted to know if I’d move 100 miles away and I asked, ‘Are you giving me a home?’ Why would I move?”
FEMA says a person who moves into one of their homes must do three things every month: Demonstrate a continued need for housing assistance, recertify their eligibility, and show they’re making progress toward a permanent housing solution.
Resident Christian Schaefer, of McDowell County, showed Faherty his one-bedroom FEMA travel trailer.
He says his home was destroyed by flooding north of Marion. He too must follow the checklist and can only stay there for 18 months.
“This is made to live in for a weekend,” he said. “This was not made to live in for 18 months. I would love for someone from FEMA to come try and live here for a month.”
FEMA says the homes have not been lived in and are all equipped with furniture and appliances. The supply is replenished as homes are sent out from Hickory.
David Lyons and his wife are hoping to get one too. Their mobile home near Elk Park was destroyed by flooding, and Lyons is living with COPD.
“We don’t have nowhere to go as of right now but we got people working on it,” he said. “It’s going to take time.”
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