As a winter storm approaches Western North Carolina, most of the 5,700 households in FEMA hotel voucher housing have been deemed ineligible.

FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which offers free hotel rooms, ends Jan. 10 unless FEMA grants an individual an extension.

Time is running out for residential property owners to respond to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s call to make rental housing available for Hurricane Helene survivors through the agency’s Direct Lease program.