Months after Tropical Depression Chantal ripped through central North Carolina, a Chapel Hill family is still facing uncertainty as they move from one hotel to another during the coldest air in months.
When WRAL first spoke to Elonnie Alston, 75, and his family in October, he said he and his wife were forced to move hotel rooms every three days to find the cheapest fares.
Since then, he says their situation has gotten worse
“It’s been very stressful. Not being in my home. And it’s been very rough for us to maintain a place to live,” Alston said.
After the floodwaters receded in July, Habitat for Humanity stepped in to assist with repairs to the home he and his wife owned for more than 35 years. However, the organization determined that the damage was beyond repair.
Habitat for Humanity offered the couple a newly built home, but being 75 years old, Alston did not believe signing up for a 30-year mortgage would be sustainable.
Alston’s pleas come as central North Carolina is expected to have the coldest air of the season. WRAL meteorologists said Monday, Dec. 15, will be a WRAL Weather Alert Day due to wind chills in the single digits.
Alston said his wife has health issues, and lost her mobility scooter in the storm. He says not having a home has only made her health worse.
“I think it has affected her quite a bit. She’s having more health problems than she did in the past,” said Alston.
WRAL reached out to local lawmakers in Chapel Hill asking about any available resources to help the family.
WRAL News also contacted Habitat for Humanity. According to the organization, a representative said months ago that they would be reaching out to the family to discuss options after the family declined to have a new home built.
The Alstons said that the call never came.
The reality of spending another holiday away from home weighs heavily on the Alston family. For the first time in 35 years, Christmas will not be celebrated in the comfort of their own home, but rather in the impersonal setting of a hotel room.
The family has started a GoFundMe to help with hotel expenses, and to repair their home. Click here for more information.