Haywood County commissioners on Jan. 6 pressed for faster state and federal action to move displaced families out of motels and into temporary or permanent housing after widespread flood damage, while county staff outlined current hazard-mitigation options and a new FEMA landslide-assistance program.

The county’s Development Services staffer Travis provided the update on mitigation programs and deadlines and urged residents to apply. “Our big push still is hazard mitigation,” Travis said, and he gave the county hotline for immediate questions: (828) 356-2020. He also asked residents to contact Cody Grama in Development Services for mitigation questions at (828) 476-0285 or mitigation@haywoodcountync.gov and noted printed applications are available at 141 Hemlock Street in Waynesville and online at ReadyHaywood.com.

Why it matters: commissioners said many Haywood families remain in motels, in crowded temporary living situations or waiting for buyouts and repairs, and they want clearer communications and quicker action from FEMA and state partners. Commissioner Best said the situation has left “these people’s lives are on hold,” and commissioners repeatedly urged the county’s state and federal contacts to move paperwork and approvals faster.

Key program details and deadlines

- Hazard mitigation options described by Travis include acquisition (buyouts), elevation, reconstruction (moving or rebuilding a home on another portion of the same parcel), and a newly added FEMA landslide-assistance track. “There’s lots of questions…we’re kind of pioneering what that program looks like,” Travis said of landslide assistance.

- As of the meeting staff reported 31 formal applications for the landslide assistance stream and more than 60 property owners who had contacted the office expressing interest. Staff said the county is accepting applications through April 1 and emphasized the program is voluntary; homeowners may opt out before a final offer is made.

- Staff reported five temporary units (travel trailers/RVs) had been placed in Haywood County so far. Travis said the county’s most recent information showed five placements and an estimated need of about 45 qualifying families for the direct-housing program; staff cautioned that matching homes/units to buildable lots with utilities remains a bottleneck.

FEMA, state coordination and communication problems

Commissioners and staff described repeated delays and inconsistent communication from FEMA field staff. Several commissioners said owners reported initial contact from FEMA but no follow-up; one county official said FEMA’s field contact, Jeremy Slinker, had been working with the county but infrastructure shortcomings (water/sewer hookups) and a lack of timely responses were stalling placements. County staff said they have provided FEMA with parcel identification numbers and owner names but still see gaps in follow-up.

Staff expects some movement: county staff told homeowners on the Fred (prior storm) buyout list they will receive a private kickoff meeting with the state-selected contractor later in January, and earlier buyout work for Tropical Storm Fred was described as largely buyouts rather than elevation for most properties affected then.

Temporary structures and “tiny homes” discussion

During public comment, resident Sherry Morgan urged the county to allow code-compliant tiny homes and camper units to be used as temporary housing. Morgan said she spoke with the North Carolina Fire Marshal’s Office and was told a tiny home that meets safety basics (heat source, gas and smoke detectors and other code items) can be approved quickly. Morgan said a state emergency authority (she referenced “North Carolina emergency act 166A” and a bill she identified as “382”) could be used in emergencies to permit temporary placement; the transcript records these citations as the speakers cited them but does not include formal county reliance on them. County staff and commissioners said they will review policy and building-code questions and that short-term use on a homeowner’s lot has occurred in some cases as travel trailers or RVs when permitted.

Debris removal, streams and longer-term watershed fixes

Commissioners asked for updates on stream and emergency debris removal. Staff said the county is working with SDR and partner contractors (Debris Tech) to complete emergency stream-debris assessments and removal in phases and expected a public timeline within about two weeks. The county noted that long-term Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) projects will take months to implement and that the county has gained some flexibility from the state in approaching mountain flood channels compared with coastal models.

Contacts and next steps

- Development Services: (828) 452-6682 (for substantial-damage appeal questions)
- Mitigation staff: Cody Grama, (828) 476-0285; mitigation@haywoodcountync.gov
- Hotline: (828) 356-2020 (8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday)

County staff said they will continue to submit names and site options to state and FEMA partners, pursue available state flexibility where federal programs are slow, and report back to commissioners with timeline updates on stream debris removal and the landslide-assistance intake process.

Ending note: Commissioners repeatedly thanked local nonprofits, faith-based groups and volunteers for short-term shelter and case-management help and said county officials will continue pushing for direct funding or faster action from state and federal partners so displaced families can move from temporary arrangements to safer, stable housing.