Background/Purpose of Request:
This is a request that the Board of Commissioners send a memo to the State of North Carolina officially requesting the FEMA Shelter and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) Pilot Program be authorized for the State of North Carolina by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The S.T.E.P. Program can be a great alternative tool for folks that have been displaced from their homes. It allows survivors to shelter in their home rather than hotels or rentals. It will help keep our community intact and stabilize the economy by allowing survivors to stay near their jobs, schools, and support networks.
As of 09/25/2018, 6,737 residents have registered for Individual Assistance (IA) with FEMA. Damage assessments are on-going throughout the county, however, rising flood waters and impacted roads have significantly slowed the recovery process and limited the ability to capture all of the damage sustained within the county. The citizens of Brunswick County are in immediate need of housing assistance. A survey of housing availability suggests that long-term sheltering options within Brunswick County is severely limited. There are currently only 270 rooms between the four hotels within Brunswick County (3 in Shallotte and 1 in Southport) that are eligible for the FEMA Transitional Shelter Assistance Program and all of these designated hotels are already at capacity and have limited future availability. The amount and availability of long-term rental properties is unknown.
As proposed, this program will be facilitated and managed for the region by the Cape Fear Council of Governments. A formal MOU will be drafted with specific details will have to be worked out and approved by Brunswick County in the future. This request is just for requesting the Governor to ask FEMA to bring the program to North Carolina and does not commit Brunswick County to participating. |