On Friday, Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, as well as Reps. Virginia Foxx and Chuck Edwards, Republican lawmakers representing North Carolina, sent a letter to President Biden urging him to waive regulations and provide temporary housing to the victims of Hurricane Helene in the western part of the state.
“The citizens of Western North Carolina need action now,” Budd told the Carolina Journal. “As winter sets in, I don’t want bureaucratic red tape holding back resources. The Biden administration should waive these regulations immediately so that FEMA can get shelters to folks who need them.”
Lawmakers advocated for their constituents who were unable to return to their homes, urging the Biden Administration to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to deploy temporary housing resources, including travel trailers and manufactured homes in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) in western NC. The temporary housing would allow homeowners to remain on their properties while repairs are made and reconstruction is in progress.
“FEMA regulations prevent the deployment of temporary housing resources in areas prone to flooding,” according to their letter. “While this policy is designed to protect the safety of homeowners waiting to be able to return to their homes from the risk of dangerous further flooding, the policy can also prevent residents from being able to stay on their own property, which would make it more difficult for impacted residents to stay close to family and loved ones, attend school, continue working, and help their communities rebuild.”
“With temperatures dropping, it is urgent that Western North Carolinians who have been displaced by Hurricane Helene obtain temporary housing,” Edwards told the Carolina Journal. “While there has been progress, including a consistent flow of 100 trailers that are always available for placement, I will not stop pressing this issue until every Western North Carolinian who needs temporary housing has this basic need met. Anyone needing assistance is encouraged to call my office at 223-FIX-FEMA.”
Deanne Criswell, the administrator of FEMA, testified before Congress last week concerning recent allegations against the government agency, including a claim that employees were instructed not to approach homes with Trump signs. FEMA has also been scrutinized and criticized recently regarding the response to Helene.
“Federal regulations act as impediments that ultimately grind recovery efforts to a halt while lives are on the line,” Foxx told the Carolina Journal. “Waiving these regulations is a sensible course of action, and it is also the right thing to do. The federal bureaucracy must not be allowed to muck up progress any further – cold weather in the mountains will continue to persist, and time is of the essence.”
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Author: Katherine Zehnder
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