LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Tornado recovery continues in Central Arkansas, and it's been a challenging time for the 1,200 people living in temporary housing.
According to Red Cross, some of the families staying in their designated tornado relief hotels are reaching their 30-day deadline to figure out their next steps for housing. If people staying in the hotels haven’t reached out to Red Cross yet, they’re encouraged to do that so they don’t become ineligible for a longer stay.
That deadline is Monday, May 8.
"We want to help them be resilient, figure out what's next," Red Cross Executive Director Lori Arnold-Ellis said. "Make a plan."
Arnold-Ellis said more than 700 families impacted by the tornado have been living in hotels for the last month, but now they're helping them transition before the end of the hotel stay limit.
"If they have met the eligibility criteria, they can continue to work with a Red Cross caseworker, in those hotel shelters," Arnold-Ellis said. "However, anybody who has not met the criteria, either because they don't live in the right county, or their damaged home doesn't qualify. Or if they haven't registered with FEMA, all three are important, then we need to transition those people to their next steps."
Arnold-Ellis also explained that they started sending letters out earlier this week to make sure people in the hotels know the deadline is approaching.
Red Cross workers are also meeting with every family to determine if they need to extend their hotel stay, also known as a safe harbor.
"For people who are no longer eligible for safe harbor, we also have the same resources for them," Arnold-Ellis said. "We're able to help them figure out if they just need to go back home, but maybe they need help with a partner like the food bank."
Arnold-Ellis said they determine if people can stay longer if they meet certain criteria like having significant damage to their home and being registered with FEMA.
"People who are eligible to stay because of the damage to their home and their FEMA qualifications, they are going to be taken care of for as long as needed," Arnold-Ellis said. "Our goal is to get everybody moved out of a hotel because nobody wants to live in a hotel permanently."
If anyone living in the hotels has questions about the May 8 deadline, they're encouraged to contact the Red Cross or the hotel front desk.