200,000 people impacted by Helene housing damages; many struggling to find homes

More than 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Helene across Western North Carolina.

That includes apartment buildings, single family homes and trailers across the region, and this impacts an estimated 200,000 people.

This comes as News 13 learns more about where the affected buildings are located in Buncombe County.

Now agencies, organizations, non-profits and even strangers are stepping to try to help provide housing.

"I don't got nowhere to go"

Without a donated camper, Danny Bailey would be homeless. He lives in Swannanoa and laughs as he shows News 13 his new space.

"I'm pretty comfortable right now," he said.

He laughs, even though he has literally lost everything.

It got wiped away, split in half and wound up in the middle of the road there. I just stayed in in my truck for two weeks," he said.

Baily had lived in his home with his parents for decades.

They all made it out before the worst of the storm hit, but floodwaters swept their home and cars away.

"Everything was under water for 10 to 15 hours," he said.

Now, his home and everything in it are scattered throughout Swannanoa.

"It's been rough and mentally stressful," said Bailey.

Like many, he is now left with nothing besides a couple of acres of dried mud and debris.

"It feels bad and it's rough but there's a reason for it and I trust the Lord that He will let me know," said Bailey. "I mean, I've lost everything, but there's people out here who have lost more than that, so I'm pretty blessed because everybody in my family come out and everybody in the community come out okay."

His outlook is almost unbelievable as he patiently waits for FEMA to help.

"My thinking is: 'just give me some money and get me a home,' you know," he said.

Bailey tells News 13 he has received $750 from FEMA so far and is hoping to get more money to help him rebuild.

"An incredibly devastating loss to WNC"

Baily is one of thousands now stuck in a place that was suffering from a housing crisis before this new crisis hit.

"We do still have a lot of people staying in hotels. We have a lot of people in temporary situations waiting for their places to be fixed, waiting on their apartments to be habitable again and I think it's going to take time," said David Bartholomew.

Bartholomew with Pisgah Legal tells News 13 that the storm damaged or destroyed more than 125,000 housing units throughout Western North Carolina. He says they have heard from many families who were displaced by Helene and have nowhere to go.

"It's absolutely devastating and the situation on the ground before the natural disaster was so many people were cost-burdened and they were struggling to afford the places they had," said Bartholomew.

He says there is a lot of concern now about available housing, and also concern for the future.

"I think our community is aware of the need to build affordable housing and the need to take this devastation our community is facing right now and really continue to invest in increasing the amount of options for us," he said.

"This is such a disaster and is so huge"

Six weeks after the storm, many families are still living in shelters.

Some are waiting to find a new home while others will be trying to fix the one damaged by the storm.

Shelter locations and availability can be checked .

As of Nov. 7, at the WNC AG Center, there are 101 people staying out of the available 200 spots. At Novant Golds Gym on Hendersonville Road, 63 people are at the shelter of the 125 available beds. There are also shelters open in Transylvania County and Yancey County.

There are more resources available for those needing help .

More information on applying for FEMA can be found .

There are also many online groups and grassroots movements to help those searching for a place to stay, either temporarily or permanently. Others are turning online to Facebook groups like .

Three women, who all live outside of Asheville, came together to create a page where thosewithout a home can easily connect with those who have one to offer. They all work in housing or realty and have connections to the mountains.

"I think the whole premise was we wanted to – in real-time – connect those who have been displaced with those who have available housing," said Josie Nasife.

The group now has 4,000 members and has helped countless storm victims find a home.

It's amazing to watch how people come together and the level of gratitude is – it's as overwhelming as the devastation," said Angi Standish.

There are also more community resources available for those still struggling .

Some, like Bailey, will never leave their property.

I don't got no where to go and I don't got no money to go no where. I'm going to have to stay right here," said Bailey.

But there is a fear that many will be forced out because there are simply not enough homes.

"The truth is if a lot of people end up leaving Western North Carolina, it doesn't help any of us. It hurts our economy, our tax base and it hurts business owners," said Bartholomew.

If you lost your home and need a place to stay, you might still be eligible for FEMA hotel vouchers. There is more information on the .