RALEIGH — FEMA and the State of North Carolina are working to ensure survivors of Tropical Storm Helen are in safe, functional housing as the holiday season approaches. Hotel reimbursement, financial assistance for rent and home repairs, and temporary hotel or motel stays provided by FEMA are currently provided to eligible households, according to a press release from the FEMA.

Additionally, at the request of the State of North Carolina, FEMA is providing direct temporary housing assistance to survivors displaced by Tropical Storm Helene. Eligible households are eligible for temporary housing in 25 counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gatson, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell , Polk. , Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey, according to the news release.

Direct temporary housing assistance can be provided in three forms:

Direct Rental – FEMA may lease existing residential properties ready for occupancy for use as temporary housing. Multifamily Rental and Repair – FEMA funds the repair or improvement of existing vacant multifamily rental properties that eligible applicants can use as temporary housing.

Transportable Temporary Housing – A trailer or manufactured housing unit (MHU) that FEMA can place on a private site or in a commercial park.

Direct temporary housing solutions are tailored to meet the individual needs of each household and will take time. This assistance is not an immediate solution to a survivor’s short-term housing needs. Additionally, not everyone affected by the disaster will be eligible for direct housing, according to the press release.

For survivors who need immediate shelter, financial assistance is available, including reimbursement for temporary housing, FEMA-provided hotel or motel stays, or rental assistance. These options remain FEMA’s primary means of assisting survivors, according to the press release.

Survivors who have applied for assistance through FEMA do not need to reapply to be eligible for Direct Temporary Housing Assistance. FEMA will contact households that may be eligible after receiving their application for disaster assistance, according to the press release.

If a survivor has not yet applied to FEMA, they can do so by going to DisasterAssistance.govby downloading the FEMA mobile app or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The phone line is open daily and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service, according to the press release.