Homes needed for displaced flood victims
Mountain Projects is meeting with flood victims who are currently in temporary housing, matching them with available resources to put them in safe, dry, clean homes. Currently, there are over 30 households that have applied for services, and hundreds more who have been impacted by the flooding may request help.
"Our priority is to put a roof over people's heads. That's point one. Give people the security of having a roof over their heads so they can start to rebuild their lives, " says Executive Director, Patsy Davis.
To meet this goal Mountain Projects is seeking homeowners who can make homes available to flood victims.
Putting a roof over someone’s head is perhaps the most stabilizing act for disaster victims. Without a home, victims don’t have anywhere to put donated items and don’t have a home base from which to conduct their lives.
It's a big ask of a homeowner, especially those who have never worked with Mountain Projects before, and because part of the funding is drawn from the Section 8 program.
“In this case, our relief isn’t income-based, recipients come from all walks of life,” said Davis. “Some of the victims we help will be Section 8 recipients. Unfortunately, there’s a stigma around Section 8 vouchers – that these renters cause problems for homeowners. A tiny fraction do, but that small segment impacts the reputation of a strong program that helps a lot of people.”
Mountain Projects conducts a background check on all Section 8 recipients and interested landlords may also screen applicants to ensure they are comfortable with the choice of tenant.
Mountain Projects and it's donors are helping to pay the first months rent and deposits necessary to get families into stable housing.
Mountain Projects is requesting the community’s assistance with two things:
- Please consider renting your home to flood victims by contacting Amber Edwards, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 828-452-1447
- If you are able to make a financial donation to cover rental deposits for flood victims, please give to Mountain Projects' partner, the United Way of Haywood County, here.
Mountain Projects is working closely with the Haywood County government, the United Way of Haywood and other nonprofit partners to serve households displaced by flooding. One hundred percent of these donations will be used to serve flood victims. Mountain Projects response services are focused on housing and transportation.
Mountain Projects is a Community Action Agency serving Haywood and Jackson Counties. To learn more, visit MountainProjects.org.
