Haywood County updates residents on Helene recovery, temporary housing and mitigation programs

Haywood County staff on Jan. 21 updated residents and commissioners on recovery work after Tropical Storm Helene, including a state-run temporary housing program, deadlines for federal aid and options for mitigation or buyouts.

Assistant County Manager for Recovery and Resiliency Garen Braddish told the Board of Commissioners that the state is placing temporary travel-trailer units on properties for homeowners actively rebuilding, and that the county is helping connect residents to the state intake process. "We had the first week this program was rolled out under the governor. We had 7 in the county who applied, and 6 of those are now getting these homes," Braddish said, adding that the state contractor will deliver and connect the units to water and sewer where required.

Braddish urged residents to apply for federal assistance by the FEMA deadline for individual assistance or public assistance, set in the meeting at Feb. 6. He said FEMA has extended the hotel-sheltering timeline for some households: people who were previously ineligible and required to leave hotels after seven days now will have three weeks from FEMA contact to find alternate shelter.

Why it matters: homeowners in flood-damaged areas face multiple, time-sensitive choices — rebuild and elevate, pursue grants or contractor assistance, enter mitigation programs that may include buyouts, or continue with existing property. Braddish said the county is trying to make information available and to buy residents time to decide.

Details from staff: - Mitigation program intake: Braddish asked interested residents to contact Cody Grama at (828) 476-0285 or mitigation@haywoodcountync.gov. He said the county had 35 applicants for Helene mitigation and about 40 additional residents had expressed interest; those numbers were presented as the county’s internal counts at the meeting. - Withdrawal option: Braddish reiterated that residents can enter the mitigation program and later withdraw; "you entered the program, and even on the last day that you have to sign the paper down the road, you can withdraw," he said. - Temporary housing units: Braddish said the state has purchased a batch of uniform trailer units for Western North Carolina distribution and that initial placements prioritize properties where homeowners already have permits to rebuild. - Buyout process and land ownership: County counsel and the board discussed how FEMA acquires structures and how property is handled after a voluntary buyout. The county’s attorney explained that under FEMA practice the agency acquires the property and often transfers deeded lots to a local government, which then restricts future vertical development; local officials noted lots are often repurposed for low-impact uses such as community gardens or river put-ins. - Landslide mapping: county staff are working with Appalachian Landslide Consultants to document and map landslides for mitigation planning; residents with suspected landslides were asked to contact Development Services.

What the county asked residents to do: apply for federal aid by Feb. 6 if eligible; contact Development Services about temporary housing placement and landslide assessments; and consider mitigation program applications if they want to explore buyouts or mitigation measures.

The presentation closed with staff saying the mitigation and temporary housing programs are evolving and that more public information will be distributed through the county’s public information office.