
Less than a day after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) promised Hurricane Helene victims that they could stay in hotels until Jan. 25, troubling reports came from North Carolina Republican US Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis on X stating that people were being kicked out of their hotel rooms on Tuesday.
“My office is hearing from dozens in WNC who have been kicked out of their hotels tonight, despite FEMA’s announcement yesterday that they were extending Transitional Sheltering Assistance through January 25,” Budd’s post read. “This is unacceptable. This needs to be fixed TONIGHT.”
About an hour later, Budd posted that he and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell were going through a list of those in need of lodging and to contact this office if they still needed assistance.
I have spoken with @FEMA_Deanne and we are working through the list of those in need of lodging. If you are in need of assistance, please contact my office:https://t.co/1vtxFnFLWY https://t.co/ALE6efxhWp
— Senator Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) January 14, 2025
“Last night, Senator Budd and his team got in touch with FEMA leadership and went line-by-line, person-by-person to identify issues, fix communication breakdowns, and get eligible individuals back into hotels,” a spokesperson for Budd’s office emailed Carolina Journal Wednesday. “Senator Budd continues to encourage anyone in need of help to get in touch with his office directly at Budd.Senate.Gov.”
Tillis said on X Tuesday night that his office has been helping dozens of Helene victims who have been told their hotel vouchers expired despite not having a safe and livable home to return to.
“Their homes have mold and broken windows…it’s 20 degrees tonight,” he said. “Hotels are trying to help them, and a number of nonprofits are stepping up to pay for victims to stay in their hotels, so FEMA has another day to get its act together.”
He said he would continue pushing FEMA to do its job and that his office will continue to work to make sure that North Carolinians have a warm place to stay for the night.
This is a total breakdown on the part of FEMA that is causing unnecessary pain for families. FEMA insists it has adequate boots on the ground in WNC while it responds to the wildfires in CA. If that were so, this would not be happening. I will continue to push FEMA to do its job…
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) January 14, 2025
Tillis’ office told CJ in an emailed statement Wednesday that they are still talking to hotels about any guests they have who may have had their hotel vouchers rescinded, even if they don’t have a livable home to return to. In the meantime, non-profits are stepping up to pay for their rooms while they get things sorted out with FEMA.
One of those non-profits is Mercury One, founded by Glenn Beck, CEO, founder, and owner of Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his television and radio network TheBlaze. JP Decker, Executive Director of Mercury One Charity, reached out to Budd on X, asking him to contact them so they could help with paying for hotel rooms.
Republican US Rep. Chuck Edwards, NC-11, who recently led a bicameral letter of the Republican North Carolina contingent urging President Joe Biden and Criswell to keep vital resources needed in the western part of the state, told NewsNation Tuesday night that he got a call from a hotel owner Tuesday who owns four hotels in Asheville and that he had about 80 people in those hotels that he had to tell that they needed to leave on Tuesday.
“There’s an online registration system, and the records that the folks from the hotels are receiving are often inconsistent with the direction that we’re getting from FEMA, which really leaves folks in the lurch and not knowing where they’re going to be sleeping tonight or the next night,” he said.
Western North Carolinians whose lives have been upended by Hurricane Helene need clear and timely communication from FEMA.
If you run into issues with FEMA, please call me at 223-FIX-FEMA for assistance. pic.twitter.com/K8X1QZZuSo
— Congressman Chuck Edwards (@RepChuckEdwards) January 15, 2025
Edwards said the whole agency needs an overhaul, starting with replacing Criswell.
“We continue to be frustrated with FEMA with their communication, their sensitivity, quite frankly to those folks who have lost their homes, who are displaced because of the storm,” he said. “That is an organization that clearly needs to be overhauled, and I’m anxious to be a part of that after January 20. We need a new director, a new administrator and we’ve got to change the culture of FEMA. There’s too much government bureaucracy and not nearly enough caring about the folks that they should be tasked to help.”
“My office remains in ongoing communication with FEMA for this and other issues in NC-11 where FEMA is responding,” Edwards said in an emailed statement to CJ. “If anyone in a transitional shelter gets told they must leave but does not have safe, secure housing, they can call my hotline at 223-FIX-FEMA and my staff will advocate on their behalf with FEMA.”
What is also confusing is FEMA’s post on X Tuesday afternoon that said, “Transitional Sheltering Assistance is providing hotel rooms to thousands of North Carolina survivors displaced by Helene. Current eligible occupants can remain in their lodging through the end of March 2025 and should continue updating us on their housing needs.”
While it may seem like FEMA extended the stay once again from Jan. 25 through the end of March, the March extension is only for about 2,000 people using vouchers who were still eligible, according to Tillis’ office.
The remaining 3,500 people who were recently deemed ineligible for further extensions, including 1,600 of those who were “no-contacts,” are those who have an extension through Jan. 25.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Democrat Gov. Josh Stein posted on his X page a picture of himself and Canton’s Mayor Zeb Smathers enjoying a BBQ sandwich at a town eatery as they spoke with other officials about the new owner of the town’s mill. Canton is about 20 miles from downtown Asheville.
Enjoyed an excellent BBQ sandwich at JRO’s with Mayor Zeb Smathers, other local officials, and Eric Spirtas, the new owner of the mill, to learn more about Canton’s bright future. pic.twitter.com/06ZxgA1tc6
— Josh Stein (@JoshStein_) January 15, 2025
Stein also posted about his meeting with the new owner, Spirtas, on the official NC Governor page. CJ reached out to Stein’s office for comment on the victims being displaced Tuesday, but did not receive comment prior to the publication of this article.
Helene survivors have until Feb. 6 to apply for assistance with FEMA by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov.
The post Dozens kicked out of WNC hotels despite FEMA Jan. 25 extension first appeared on Carolina Journal.
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