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Residents and officials press Haywood County for faster temporary housing after Helene; commissioners push back on viral claims
Summary
Residents, volunteers and the sheriff traded conflicting accounts at the Dec. 2 Haywood County commissioners meeting over how many storm-displaced people remain unsheltered. Speakers pressed the board for short-term fixes—tiny homes, campers and pallet shelters—while officials said churches, FEMA and county staff have been working to house survivors and warned against misinformation.
Haywood County residents and volunteers urged county commissioners on Dec. 2 to cut red tape and speed temporary housing for families left homeless by Tropical Storm Helene, while county leaders and the sheriff defended the local response and warned that social-media videos have circulated misleading claims.
The meeting’s public-comment period ran more than an hour and included multiple appeals for immediate shelter. ‘‘If we’ve got one person in this county that’s homeless because of Helene, we need to cut through the red tape, get them warm, keep them fed,’’ said Barry Peppers, a resident who suggested renting VRBOs, campers or tiny homes as stopgap measures. Several speakers described seeing people in tents and asked the county to relax zoning or permitting rules so donated campers and small, temporary structures could be used.
Eustace Conway, who identified himself as the founder of the Turtle Island Preserve and said he drafted a state law addressing…
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