NC Gov. Josh Stein: FEMA is broken as we brace for a new hurricane season | Opinion

When Hurricane Helene ripped their homes from them, thousands of North Carolina families used FEMA vouchers to stay in hotels until they could find a place to stay. In early January, many of those families found out that they would be evicted from their hotel rooms on January 11, right when a snowstorm was due to hit North Carolina.

As soon as we found out about the situation, our senators, representatives, and I hit the phones, and we were able to secure an extension for people’s temporary shelter in hotels.

But it shouldn’t have taken those calls.

The snowstorm was only one example of countless times that, in the wake of a horrible natural disaster, FEMA has shown up too late or not enough. We’re seeing this pattern play out again in real time as tornadoes wreak havoc on our neighbors in Kentucky, Missouri and more. We need a federal response to natural disasters, but FEMA isn’t working. It’s time for real change.

FEMA isn't working. North Carolina knows this all too well.

First of all, we need to get FEMA started right away on the most important work after a storm: permanently rebuilding homes and businesses. Right now, FEMA focuses on temporary housing solutions after a storm hits, while states wait on HUD, usually for well over a year, to fund permanent housing repairs. This costs the federal government thousands of dollars in temporary housing payments and makes homeowners wait even longer to move back home.

Let’s shrink that time and cost by charging FEMA with getting people’s homes permanently repaired so they can move back in faster. That’d be better for both homeowners and taxpayers.

Second, applying for federal help is way too complicated. People have to fill out complex applications for support from FEMA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Small Business Administration – all after experiencing a life-changing disaster. We could make FEMA a single front door to people who need a federal disaster response, using a single application form. FEMA experts can then work with disaster survivors to get them the support they need.

Third, we need to do better by local governments. There’s no time to waste in disaster recovery, so currently, local governments pay for debris removal and repairs upfront. Then they have to wait for reimbursement from FEMA. These towns are already facing cash flow issues from the disaster, and having spent their own dollars on cleanup, they still have to figure out how to keep essential services going, whether paying teachers or picking up trash.

Instead, states should receive funds up front through a block grant, so long as they’ve pre-submitted an action plan to the federal government even before disasters strike. Once FEMA approves the plan, it would pre-fund the work after the disaster, rather than delay reimbursements for months. This would enable local governments to respond to storms more quickly and with less financial disruption. And FEMA could focus on monitoring and oversight, as well as working with officials on the ground to provide flexibility when needed.

We don't need to eliminate FEMA to fix our federal response

Of course, states must be accountable for federal support. But FEMA needs to be held accountable, too. Once FEMA has agreed to send funds—whether to individuals, states, or local governments—recipients should see those funds within 14 days. That expectation should go for all recovery efforts, not just Hurricane Helene.

There’s a lot of room for improvement, but FEMA is doing some things right. Because it is a federal agency, it has a much larger capacity to handle all the administration of disaster response, a capacity that most states don’t have. States simply do not have the capacity to take in individual applications and get people immediate cash assistance the way that FEMA can. FEMA is also a repeat actor, so it has greater technical knowledge to help people and towns get the right assistance. And they help train local governments for success, so that they’re prepared to meet people’s needs.

We’ve got to fix what’s wrong with FEMA, but we literally cannot afford to throw out what’s right.

When I’ve talked to people who have applied for FEMA assistance, I’ve learned that the path to getting help is far too often full of hurdles during what’s already an immensely difficult time. These changes I’m proposing won’t just make it easier and faster for folks to access critical information or disaster aid. They will also provide compassion and dignity for survivors in a time of great distress.

As I’m writing, North Carolina is staring down yet another hurricane season. Tornadoes have ravaged several states in recent weeks, and thousands more Americans are looking to FEMA for help. We can’t just wait for FEMA to resolve itself. We don’t want FEMA eliminated. We need to fix FEMA. If we do it now – if we reduce red tape and focus on getting help to people – we'll be that much more prepared to help the victims of the next storm.

Josh Stein is the 76th governor of North Carolina.