Mayor Bill Saffo says FEMA trailers likely two months away for displaced residents in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - Mayor Bill Saffo says it will probably be at least two months before FEMA trailers are available for residents who lost their homes during Hurricane Florence in Wilmington.

“What the Red Cross is telling us is that two months is what is needed before these folks can get the housing that they need,” Saffo said.

Dozens of people are still living in shelters after flood waters either destroyed their homes or left them uninhabitable.

Saffo says there are programs available for housing, but they come with challenges.

“They can go out and try to find additional housing but the problem that we're running into is we have a lot of apartment complexes that have been damaged,” Saffo says. “A lot of people have been pushed out of those apartment units so that is compounding the problem that we already have. Plus, there has always been a shortage of affordable housing in this particular area.”

Saffo says city council will likely decide on special provisions at its meeting next Tuesday to allow temporary mobile units of RV’s in the driveways where homes are being repaired.

Saffo says he met with Gov. Roy Cooper Tuesday and is hopeful more money for housing will be headed this way.

“I know the Governor is pushing for a very aggressive package which will include a lot of money for housing. Trying to accelerate the process with FEMA is also going to be challenging in the respect of trying to find the location as to where we’re going to put those trailers.”

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