The 2020 hurricane season began on June 1, but many North Carolinians are still seeking relief from damages sustained during Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. After a hurricane makes landfall, storm clouds will dissipate but the recovery process for homeowners can take years. On July 8-10, Legal Aid of North Carolina will offer remote information sessions to help educate North Carolina homeowners on the assistance available for survivors of Florence and Matthew.

“These information sessions are a great opportunity for North Carolinians to learn more about the resources available to them when they become victims of natural disasters,” said Nicole Mueller, a Legal Aid disaster relief staff attorney. “It is not too late to seek remedies for disaster-related damages just because a storm took place years ago.”

The information sessions will take place via conference call and will cover how Legal Aid can assist North Carolinians with disaster recovery. Topics include how to apply for ReBuild NC’s Homeowner Recovery Program, how Legal Aid can assist during the application process, and how Legal Aid can help if a homeowner needs to file an appeal. Legal Aid lawyers will answer general questions during the information sessions.

“We want people to know that they have options if they are denied assistance or if they disagree with the amount that they have been awarded,” Mueller said. “Legal Aid may be able to help with an appeal or assist with other legal needs that can help secure assistance.”

ReBuild NC is a program operated by the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resilience to distribute grant money to homeowners, contractors, and local and tribal governments for the purpose of disaster recovery. The program opened a new application period June 15 for victims of Florence and Matthew, potentially opening the door for many North Carolinians who have thus far been unable to receive funding from the government or charitable entities. Legal Aid has helped clients with ReBuild applications and appeals in the past and stands ready to do so during this new application cycle.

The three information sessions will all cover the same information. Those that are interested can choose a day and time that is convenient for them:

July 8 at 12 p.m. 
Call-in number: (312) 626-6799
Meeting ID: 871 2700 6960 #
Participant ID: “#”

July 9 at 6:30 p.m. 
Call-in number: (312) 626-6799
Meeting ID: 886 9003 1584 #
Participant ID: “#”

July 10 at 8 a.m. 
Call-in number: (312) 626-6799
Meeting ID: 815 9832 1751 #
Participant ID: “#”

About

Legal Aid NC is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Our Disaster Relief Project provides legal assistance and education to survivors of natural disasters in North Carolina, seeking to provide relief to clients in the days, weeks, months and years that it takes to recover. Legal Aid NC also supports community economic development and long-term recovery in disaster-impacted communities. Call the Legal Aid NC helpline at 866-219-5262 or visit legalaidnc.org/apply to learn about eligibility for our services and to get Legal Aid’s assistance.

Join Legal Aid of North Carolina’s disaster relief project for free live presentations on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. You can find the live stream on Facebook Live. All videos are posted to Legal Aid of North Carolina’s YouTube channel after the presentation.

Past topics include:

• NC Disaster Recovery 101
• Your mental health and COVID 19
• Introduction to ReBUILD NC
• Property Insurance & Natural Disasters: SHOW ME THE MONEY! (or not)
• Don’t Let Ownership Issues Stand in the Way of Recovery
• Hurricane Preparedness During a Pandemic
• Advocating for yourself in the ReBuild NC program
• Estate Planning for Rainy Weather
• How to apply for help from Legal Aid of North Carolina through the helpline
• FEMA Recoupment: What it means when FEMA asks for disaster relief money back
• Basics of becoming a non-profit for disaster recovery groups
• How Legal Aid NC may be able to help with disaster recovery & applying for ReBuild NC
• Flood Recovery: Water damage, mold, and rebuilding after a disaster
• What is estate planning and why should you consider it during disaster recovery?

​Visit the Legal Aid of North Carolina’s disaster relief project of our Self-Help Library for more free legal education and self-help resources.

WILSON · July 18, 2019—Thanks to Katashia Cooper, an attorney in Wilson with our Disaster Relief Project, scores of Hurricane Florence survivors will receive valuable relocation assistance packages to help them find new homes.

What ended up as a big win benefiting scores of tenants started as a small case involving one renter with a humble request: Can you help me get my security deposit back?

This tenant—Katashia’s client—is an elderly woman who, before Florence hit, was living in Cypress Village apartments, a public housing complex in Columbus County. Her daughter, who doubles as an in-home aide, lives with her.

Cypress Village was no match for Florence. “The entire complex was destroyed,” said Katashia. “Several units were completely flooded—mold, water damage—just unlivable conditions. They couldn’t return to their apartment.”

Immediately after the storm, FEMA put the tenants up in hotels as part of the agency’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program. The program is supposed to provide short-term lodging assistance for survivors, but the Cypress Village tenants were stuck in their hotels for months.

The problem was that the owner of Cypress Village decided not to rebuild the complex. Since Florence left little other habitable low-income housing in the area, the former tenants had nowhere to go.

In March, nearly half a year after the storm hit, the former Cypress Village tenants were still in their hotels, but their FEMA assistance was running out. What to do?

Our client worked the phones, trying to get an explanation from the complex owner and property manager, but no one returned her calls. With nowhere else to turn, she came to us for help.

All she wanted was her security deposit back. She figured she was on her own when it came to finding new housing, and she just wanted as much money as possible to find a decent place.

“I coached her through writing a demand letter and sending it by certified mail to her property manager,” Katashia said. Thanks to Katashia’s guidance, the letter worked, and our client got her security deposit back.

Katashia wasn’t finished. “This was public housing. How can the owner just not rebuild?” Katashia said. Cypress Village was privately owned, but the owner participated in the Section 8 voucher program run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The program provides real benefits to landlords—guaranteed monthly rent payments courtesy of the federal government—but there are strings attached.

“I didn’t think that a Section 8 landlord could just choose not to rebuild,” said Katashia, so she contacted HUD. After some administrative back-and-forth, Katashia got the good news: HUD was putting together a relocation assistance team to help the tenants find new homes.

On May 29, the HUD team met with about 20 tenants at the office of the Columbus County Housing Authority and unveiled the details of the tenants’ relocations packages: housing vouchers the tenants could use for reduced rent payments in any rental property on the private market, money to cover the security deposit payment at their new home, moving expenses ($1,050 for a one-bedroom), a $100 transportation allowance, $100 to cover application fees for their new homes, and a $100 allowance for miscellaneous expenses.

Katashia’s client, who relocated to South Carolina in May, is thrilled at the outcome, but Katashia—ever persistent—is not quite done advocating for her client. “My client has been paying for storage since September, and she has some other expenses. She has kept meticulous receipts. I’m still in touch with the HUD team.”

RALEIGH, Oct. 11, 2016 – ​All members of our staff are safe, and none of our field offices sustained serious storm damage, but our offices in Fayetteville, Greenville and Pembroke remain closed today due to the continuing fallout from Hurricane Matthew.​

Our Central Intake Unit, which screens all new client applications via our statewide Helpline and online intake application​, is operating from a remote location in Raleigh. The storm knocked out power to the unit’s main offices.

Based on our past experiences responding to the legal needs of victims of natural disasters, we know that people’s immediate concerns are practical — shelter, utilities, property damage, etc. — and that legal issues often do not become a priority until much later.

To help people with their immediate concerns, we have collected links to ​local, state and national recovery resources for victims.

When those affected by the storm do begin to confront legal issues relating to their property, insurance, public benefits and more, they should call our statewide toll-free Helpline at 1-866-219-LANC (5262) or apply online using our guided intake interview.​​

RALEIGH, January 5, 2017 – Legal Aid of North Carolina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Red Cross will hold a series of free outreach events this month in eastern North Carolina for people affected by Hurricane Matthew.

Attendees can receive expert help with housing, insurance, financial assistance and legal issues arising from the storm. Each event is completely free and open to all members of the public. Appointments are not required.

​Sat., Jan. 14, 2017 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Robeson Community College 5160 Fayetteville Road Lumberton, NC 28360

​Sat., Jan. 21, 2017 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Edgecombe Co. Admin Building 201 St. Andrews St. Tarboro, NC 27886

Sat., Jan. 28, 2017 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Goldsboro Event Center 1501 South Slocumb Street Goldsboro, NC 27530

The events are part of Legal Aid’s effort to provide critical information and assistance to survivors of Hurricane Matthew. Visit the Disaster Relief section of our site for free self-help legal resources, news from federal and state agencies serving survivors, links to important information and more.

If you need legal help, call the toll-free Hurricane Matthew legal aid hotline at 1-800-662-7407.

If you are a lawyer who wants to volunteer to help storm victims, click here to learn more.

Partnership among the North Carolina Bar Association, Legal Aid of North Carolina, American Bar Association, and FEMA helps North Carolina residents

RALEIGH · May 18, 2018 – A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for victims of the April 15, 2018, tornado and storm (the “tornado”) in North Carolina. The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer, is a partnership between the North Carolina Bar Association, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

Low-income survivors facing legal issues may call 1-833-242-3549, the assistance hotline activated by the North Carolina Bar Association. Callers should identify that they are seeking Tornado-related legal assistance, ask for Disaster Legal Services, and should identify the county in which they are located. Survivors who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help. 

Examples of legal assistance available include:

• Assistance with appeals of FEMA and other benefits available to disaster survivors
• Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims
• Help with home repair contracts and contractors
• Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
• Assisting in consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures
• Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
• Counseling on landlord/tenant problems

The hotline is available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid as part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a lawyer referral service.

MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION

A total of two North Carolina counties have been approved to receive federal assistance in the wake of the tornado. The counties are Guilford and Rockingham Counties. 

People who sustained property damage as a result of the tornado are urged to register with FEMA, as they may be eligible for federal and state disaster assistance. People can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (TTY) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Eastern Time) seven days a week. Tornado survivors are also urged to call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 if there are any questions, need clarifications, to inquire status updates of their registrations. 

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for eligible applicants. SBA helps businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or damaged personal property. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries. 

For more information, individuals may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For more information on North Carolina’s recovery, visit the disaster Web page at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/3380, Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website, http://www.ncdps.gov. 

BEWARE OF FRAUD

Both FEMA and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office are warning North Carolina residents of the risk of fraud and common scams in the wake of the severe weather. Common post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations, and fake offers of state or federal aid. North Carolinians are urged to ask questions, and to require identification when someone claims to represent a government agency. 

Survivors should also keep in mind that state and federal workers never ask for or accept money, and always carry identification badges with a photograph. There is no fee required to apply for or to receive disaster assistance from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), or the state. Additionally, no state or federal government disaster assistance agency will call to ask for your financial account information. Unless you place a call to the agency yourself, you should not provide personal information over the phone as it can lead to identity theft. 

Those who suspect fraud can call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 (toll free). Complaints may also be made to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-877-566-7226. 

BACKGROUND

When the U.S. President declares a major disaster, FEMA, in cooperation with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, helps to establish a toll-free number for disaster survivors to request legal assistance. Funding for the toll-free line comes from FEMA under the authority of Section 415 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency assistance Act (Public Law 100-707). The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in turn partners with state bar associations and other legal organizations to recruit volunteer lawyers in affected areas to handle survivors’ cases. In North Carolina, the partners utilize the hotline offered by the North Carolina Bar Association, which provides legal information and referrals for civil legal issues. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service. To determine whether an issue qualifies for free legal assistance, individuals should call 1-800- 310-7029 to determine whether a particular issue qualifies.

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

The following organizations have joined forces to establish a toll-free phone line for North Carolina Tornado victims to request free legal assistance, and to provide volunteer attorneys to handle cases arising from tornado related damage.

• North Carolina Bar Association – The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession.
• Legal Aid of North Carolina – Legal aid of North Carolina is a statewide, non-profit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.
• American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division – The ABA YLD, the largest national organization of young lawyers, provides leadership in serving the public and the profession, and promotes excellence and fulfillment in the practice of law. Its parent organization, the ABA, is the national voice of the legal profession and one of the largest voluntary professional membership groups in the world.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency – FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. Through an agreement with the American Bar Association, FEMA underwrites the cost of operating toll free legal assistance lines for survivors in areas designated as federal disaster sites.
• National Disaster Legal Aid Online – NDLA (available at: disasterlegalaid.org) is a collaborative effort of Lone Star Legal Aid, the American Bar Association, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Pro Bono Net.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

• North Carolina Bar Association: Nihad Mansour, Pro Bono Staff Attorney, 919-677-0561, probono@ncbar.org
• Legal Aid of North Carolina: George Hausen, Executive Director, 919-586-2130, GeorgeH@legalaidnc.org
• American Bar Association, Brooks Jaffa, ABA YLD District 9 Rep., 704-442-1010 ext. 139, Bfjaffa@gmail.com