NLIHC’s Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) joined more than 20 other national organizations in sending a letter to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby. The letter urged the governor and chief justice to utilize their executive authorities to prevent evictions and foreclosures for 90 days in areas of the state impacted by Hurricane Helene.
The letter was sent shortly after the NC Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network (NCIDR) sent another state-wide letter calling on the governor and chief justice to enact an eviction and foreclosure moratorium immediately. NCIDR convenes a collaborative of more than 300 public, non-profit, and faith-based organizations seeking channels for the expression of community voices and equitable access to resources in the disaster recovery system.
Hurricane Helene brought about widescale destruction throughout the southeastern U.S. and had caused more than 200 deaths as of October 2, making it one of the deadliest storms to hit the U.S. since Hurricanes Katrina and Maria. Governor Cooper and Chief Justice Newby now have the power to prevent the needless displacement of thousands of impacted households, including many of the hardest hit disaster survivors who will need the greatest amount of assistance to recover from this catastrophic storm. Advocates and organizers are thus imploring the governor and chief justice to take action immediately. In support of this goal, Western North Carolina Tenants Network recently hosted a press conference at the Buncombe County Courthouse to demand that the government take action before it is too late.
Read the DHRC’s national letter here.
Read NCIDR’s letter here.
Read more about the Western North Carolina Tenants Network’s press conference here.