BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. -- More than a thousand people in Buncombe County are living in hotels said FEMA spokeswoman Hannah Vick Wednesday.
Vick also confirmed 27 families are in FEMA housing.
FEMA spokeswoman Claire Kopsky in an emailed response to questions said 100 temporary housing units have been sent to North Carolina. She said 46 households across North Carolina in 11 counties have been housed with FEMA units.
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"It takes time to transport, permit, install, and inspect these homes," wrote Kopsky.
But FEMA spokespeople have declined to provide more specifics on the small number of units delivered compared to the number of families in need.
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"We're very well aware of the challenges in front of us," said Vick in a weekly briefing.
Two weeks ago, Julia Moline, FEMA's Deputy Assistant Administrator for Logistics Operations said in some cases families can get a trailer or mobile home quickly.
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"From the time we determined someone is eligible for direct housing and they want direct housing it could be a matter of a few weeks," said Moline.
The federal emergency response agency has had a rotating number of spokespeople who've repeated similar vague statements in response to the small number of trailers FEMA has brought to the state.
"We do have more than a 1,000 people in Buncombe County right now who are being sheltered in our transitional sheltering assistance program," said Vick, referencing hotels.
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"We're very much working with the county and the city as well as the municipalities on this particular issue. We're having multiple meetings each day. Not just with our internal group, but also with our FEMA staff back in Hickory, as well as headquarters." Vick said.
The focus remains on keeping people in safe and sanitary units including in hotels Vick said.
Vick referenced the matching program with mobile home units but didn't provide any specific numbers on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
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FEMA has put out videos of families in three counties they've helped. Two weeks ago, a FEMA spokesperson said 500 families had been approved for direct housing help.
The agency continues to publicize its rental assistance program to help anyone with a rental unit. FEMA has also stated some families can have units placed on their property.