7ThSpaceInteractive reports from eastern North Carolina 76 of the 194 families who received Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manufactured homes following Hurricane Irene in Aug. 2011 have been able to move into permanent homes. At first, the FEMA homes were not allowed to be sited in low-lying hazard areas given the potential for floods during the hurricane season. But local, state and federal officials reached a compromise that required people to be out by April 1 unless they request an extension. So far 82 families have received extensions to remain in the homes. “There was no easy housing solution in many of the areas hit hardest by Irene,” said state Emergency Management Director Doug Hoell. “The use of FEMA….. homes proved to be the most workable solution for many families, but we knew it was only a short-term answer for those in flood-prone areas.” MHProNews.com has learned North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) and FEMA counselors have been meeting regularly since last fall with those displaced to help them develop a plan for secure and functional housing.
