RALEIGH — A series of public announcements from FEMA and Governor Roy Cooper’s office on Tuesday highlighted various updates in FEMA’s post-Florence relief programs.
Updates included an approaching deadline for rapid home repairs on Jan. 17, upcoming phone calls from FEMA advisors to displaced Florence victims currently sheltered in hotel rooms, and information about a mitigation workshop in Leland.
Deadline for rapid home repairs Jan. 17
A press release sent out by Governor Roy Cooper’s office on Monday morning urged North Carolinians eligible for the special Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) program, which provides rapid repairs to homes damaged by Hurricane Florence, to sign up before the Jan. 17 deadline.
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To participate for the free “shelter-in-place” program, homeowners must sign a Right of Entry (ROE) form before the deadline expires.
The STEP program provides temporary, partial repairs to homeowners so Florence victims can return to their homes while long-term repairs continue.
“People pushed out of their homes by Hurricane Florence long to return home, and for eligible homeowners the STEP program can help them get home sooner,” Governor Cooper said. “Returning home puts families back in their communities and closer to work and school as they put their lives back together after this devastating storm.”
The program is designed to provide repairs for homes that received less than $17,000 of damage from Florence and includes residents in Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties.
Cooper’s office said that 15,784 Florence victims have been reached by phone, text message, or postcard to encourage enrollment in the program, while eligible homeowners were selected by FEMA based on data gathered from registered victims.
After completion of the form, an inspector will visit the home to assess damages, and if deemed eligible, draw up a repair plan, according to the release. The amount of damage will dictate whether repairs will be made by a volunteer disaster relief group or a state-managed professional contractor.
The governor’s office said that volunteer groups have completed repairs on a total of 20 homes in the STEP program, while progress remains on an additional 31 homes.
“Work is set to begin soon on hundreds more homes whose owners have already signed up for the program,” the governor’s press secretary Ford Porter said.
Repairs made through the STEP program include:
- Exterior repairs: secure and watertight doors, windows and roofs, and entrances.
- Electrical and plumbing systems made safe and operational.
- Interior repairs: providing for a functional kitchen (including a working sink, basic refrigeration and cooking surfaces, a base cabinet under the sink, and a surface to prepare food) and a functional, private bathroom.
“We want to make sure that every homeowner who may qualify for this repair program has the opportunity to do so, but time is running out to sign up,” Cooper said.
For more information about the STEP program, visit ncdps.gov/florencestep. Eligible homeowners can also call (833) 257-1100 Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. or visit the application portal at ncstepflorence.com.
According to Porter, those who participate in the program lose eligibility to receive a FEMA travel trailer or mobile home as well as a hotel room in the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program (update on that below).
Those sheltered in hotels “can expect a call”
North Carolinians staying in hotels as part of FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program can “expect a call from FEMA about their long-term housing plan,” according to a FEMA release sent Tuesday afternoon.
The program’s participants will be contacted to schedule an appointment to meet with representatives from FEMA, voluntary agencies, and state partners to “discuss steps for moving toward a more permanent housing solution.”
According to the release, FEMA has provided hotel stays for more than 850 households since Florence, two-thirds of which have moved to a more permanent housing solution.
The FEMA program is designed to provide displaced victims from a natural disaster temporary shelter in hotel rooms while they transition to temporary or permanent housing solutions.
To make the appointment process “as smooth as possible,” participants are advised to follow these tips:
- Provide FEMA up-to-date contact information, which can be updated online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the Disaster Assistance Helpline at (800) 621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585).
- If you receive a message, be sure to return the call as advisors may be calling from unfamiliar area codes.
- Be flexible on appointment scheduling.
Community workshop on mitigation in Leland
FEMA will host a community workshop in Leland for homeowners, business owners, and renters to discuss the importance of mitigation and the benefits of “whole community preparedness,” according to Brunswick County spokesperson Amanda Hutcheson.
The workshop will take place at the Leland Cultural Arts Center (1212 Magnolia Village Way) on Thursday, Jan. 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Topics discussed at the workshop will include mitigation measures to lessen the impact of future disasters, information about the National Flood Insurance Program, a demonstration with local flood maps, possible funding sources for implementing mitigation measures, and building in ways that are safer, stronger and smarter.
Mark Darrough can be reached at Mark@Localvoicemedia.com
