Asheville woman faces eviction despite lease, claims FEMA ended housing assistance

By Marc Liverman

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — An Asheville woman could be just a few days away from being homeless after she says FEMA’s telling her to get out of her apartment, despite having a lease.

The Helene survivor was expecting housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through March of next year before getting the news.

Lenora Wells said a FEMA representative called her on Thursday, Aug. 28, informing her that eviction-related documents had already been signed.

“I got a phone call yesterday saying that my papers were signed, but they haven’t been delivered,” Wells said.

She’s expected to move out within the next three days, even though she has a lease agreement, according to Wells.

“My contract’s March 1 of this year until March 1 of next year,” Wells said. “I have no family, nothing that can help me.”

Wells added that FEMA has only partially explained why.

“They made claims that you’re not doing everything in your power to find another place to move to,” Wells said.

On Friday, Aug. 29, Wells joined a handful of other Helene survivors in Pack Square who were speaking out after suffering similar fates. They say residents are being given different reasons, with some not getting any at all.

“One resident that was recently evicted was told by a FEMA representative that the program is ending early, while others were told they had violated their agreements,” said Helene Survivors Committee volunteer Cody Cogdell.

News 13 has reached out to FEMA to try and get Wells and others some answers, but so far, they haven’t responded to our request. It’s also not clear how many other Western North Carolina residents have been impacted.

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