GREENSBORO — The EF2 tornado that hit Greensboro on April 15 severely damaged or destroyed more than 200 homes, according to a city spokesperson. Some of those homes were owned by the people who lived in them and they had insurance. Others were occupied by renters who now face another storm as they try to find a new place to live.
James Powell, 67, has rented a home on Lansdown Avenue with his sons for the past 5 years. The tornado blew out the windows and ripped off the roof. When it rains water pours inside.
Last week, the city told them they’d have to leave and they began looking for places to go.
“Very hard, very hard. We still trying to find somewhere now,” Powell said on Friday afternoon. “Prices for one thing and trying to find a house is another thing, so it’s very hard.”
Friday morning, the city posted a condemned sign on the front door and told them they must leave now for their safety.
Brett Byerly with the Greensboro Housing Coalition says many renters face the same struggle.
“One of the problems that we had before this tornado struck was an affordable housing crisis. There’s a lack of units between $400 and $700 a month to rent in Greensboro before the storm hit,” said Byerly.
Now, even more families are competing for that type of housing. Organizations like the Coalition can help with the search and assist with payments like first month’s rent.
“Because of where this storm hit it was particularly devastating, because we’re talking about a very large swath of people that don’t have insurance or are underinsured or are renters who were barely making ends meet before this thing ever hit,” Byerly said.
Powell doesn’t know where they’ll stay, but he’s determined to weather this storm.
“Yeah, I’m upset and all, but you just gotta make a new start,” he said.
The Greensboro Housing Coalition is assisting 60 families in a similar situation and WFMY News 2 left Mr. Powell with their contact information. Other organizations that can help displaced renters find a place to stay include the Red Cross and various churches.