Staff Reports
When disaster strikes, one would expect the government to swoop in like the Avengers, ready to save the day. Instead, under Joe Biden’s administration, the unwanted reality is that the government is often more of a headache than a help, especially for the beleaguered folks in North Carolina who recently suffered from Hurricane Helene. While California is grappling with wildfires, about 3,500 North Carolinians are facing the harsh wintry reality of losing their transitional housing assistance provided by FEMA, just as temperatures are expected to drop dangerously low.
As temperatures in the Asheville area dip to the low 30s, FEMA has notified families that their transitional sheltering assistance will end. The reasons for this abrupt termination include arbitrary inspections that deemed some homes “habitable” or failed inspections that residents were unaware needed to happen. In total, around 5,600 families are still relying on assistance, but a significant number face eviction from their hotel rooms—less than comforting news for those already unsettled from the storm.
While FEMA insists they’re diligently working to complete inspections—claiming a completion rate of 98 percent—this does little to comfort those facing eviction. A number of residents stirred up concerns during a recent gathering in downtown Asheville, demanding an extension of their housing assistance. It’s a small-town demonstration of frustration over a big government’s inability to follow through when people most need support. Some residents assert that all their pleas for assistance go unanswered, forcing them to consider living on the streets, a horrific thought for anyone facing winter’s chill.
Even more disheartening is the response from some local residents who attempted to engage with FEMA during the recovery process. Tales have surfaced of individuals needing inspections that simply couldn’t be fulfilled because inspectors wouldn’t cross “road closed” signs to reach them. As a result, some residents have taken matters into their own hands, ostensibly managing their recovery without the federal government’s help, a telling sign of how ill-equipped FEMA has proven to be in the wake of the disaster.
https://t.co/72NiFHGFB6
FEMA is set to end Transitional Sheltering Assistance for 3,500 households in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene, despite severe winter conditions. Many families are facing homelessness as they are deemed ineligible for continued support, with…— The America One News (@am1_news) January 10, 2025
The irony in all of this is not lost on the victims. Many have expressed that their efforts to rebuild have been far more effective without FEMA’s involvement. While Biden’s administration pushes for extensive federal involvement in citizens’ lives, perhaps those in North Carolina would prefer a little less from a government that seems to get it wrong more often than right. The villagers of Bat Cave represent just one microcosm of the larger narrative—when it comes to federal assistance, they’d prefer to rely on their own resilience rather than a government that keeps missing the mark. It seems the best lesson for Northerners is that sometimes, the cavalry doesn’t ride in; instead, the locals are left to carry their own weight, and they’re doing just that.
