ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Gov. Josh Stein has asked FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to extend the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program for an additional six months.
In a letter dated Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, Stein urged Criswell to extend the program through Sept. 30, 2025, so Western North Carolinians have certainty about a safe place to live as they rebuild.
“The people of Western North Carolina are experiencing chaos and uncertainty that is untenable,” Stein said in a statement. “That is why I am urging FEMA to extend its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program for six months to get folks through the winter in safe, secure shelter as they rebuild their homes.”
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website:
Transitional Sheltering Assistance (hotels/motels)
- Individuals checked in: 6,127
- Households checked out: 10,370
FEMA Housing Support – Mobile Housing Units/Travel Trailers
- Licensed in: 117
- Vacated (returned to stable housing): 4
According to FEMA officials, 86,945 individuals in Buncombe County have registered for help.
“Many of these families’ homes need long-term rebuilding and are not and will not be safe for some time,” Stein said in his letter. “The shock of the damage Hurricane Helene caused is still very real for the people of Western North Carolina. They need assurance that they will have shelter during this time so long as their home is still uninhabitable. We owe them support, not fear or confusion.”
If you still need help recovering from Tropical Storm Helene, you have until Feb. 6 to apply for FEMA aid at DisasterAssistance.gov and Disaster Unemployment Assistance at des.nc.gov.