(Alan Wooten, The Center Square) Households with needs and determined eligible from Hurricane Helene have eclipsed 7,000 in North Carolina, the state auditor’s office says.
The analysis says 7,096 households “indicated a housing need and were determined to be eligible for housing assistance.” This is the number of total housed (2,793), seeking assistance (536) and not utilizing assistance households (3,767).
The number housed represents eligible for FEMA rental assistance or FEMA transitional sheltering assistance. Seeking assistance means these households are in need but not marked eligible for rental or transitional specifically; the households may be utilizing another form of shelter, the report says.
The number not utilizing assistance means the households are eligible for rental or transitional and chose not to use it.
Buncombe County, where Asheville is the county seat, was among the hardest hit regions. Nearly one-third (903) of the report’s 2,793 total housed is from the county. Buncombe County’s seeking assistance number, as of Saturday, is 137.
Six state temporary housing units remain occupied. Two are in McDowell County, and there is one each in Ashe, Avery, Haywood and Watauga counties.
The 33rd week of recovery began over the weekend. State leaders and congressional representatives are continuing to request funding from Washington and Raleigh for what is arguably the state’s worst natural disaster.
The storm came ashore in Florida on Sept. 26, dissipated over the mountains of three states and left 107 dead in North Carolina and 236 across seven states. Estimated damage was $60 billion in the Tarheel State. Monday marked 229 days since Category 4 Hurricane Helene crashed into Dekle Beach, Florida.
