Latest news with #BuffaloDisasterRelief
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Town of Unicoi concerned about former Budget Inn building transformation
UNICOI, Tenn. (WJHL) – In December of 2024, the former Budget Inn building was purchased to create temporary housing for survivors of Hurricane Helene. However, town leadership said they have concerns about the project. Since its purchase, Mayor Kevin McInturff has worked alongside Melanie Klump, CEO and director of Buffalo Disaster Relief, which purchased the property. According to McInturff, things had been squared away early into their discussions. 'We had a long conversation,' McInturff said. 'Had a good meeting, and everybody left with a good mindset on it.' But McInturff said the building's condition isn't where they hoped it would be. '[Klump] had her artwork of what it was going to look like when it was finished,' he said. 'But the people that live [on that road], they look at it every day. It needs to be resolved in some manner.' According to McInturff, the steps needed to move forward haven't been taken yet. 'Like the building inspector said, as long as the proper steps are taken, you can move on with it,' McInturff said. 'But we haven't seen it yet.' Community Heroes: Buffalo Disaster Relief flipping former motel to house flood victims McInturff stressed that he fully supports the end goal for the building but just wants to see it restored soon. 'We all remember what a beautiful place it used to be out there,' McInturff said. 'And we need to move on with it.' News Channel 11 reached out to Klump for a comment. That statement can be found below: 'At this time, we are unable to provide a comment. We have been actively working through the appropriate governmental channels and pursuing legal avenues to expedite the process. Any concerns from the mayor's office should be directed to his staff, as we have adhered to the guidelines set forth by local authorities. Any delays have been the result of local government procedures, rather than any actions on our part. Our primary goal remains securing the necessary support to transition the victims of Helene from temporary shelters into sustainable housing—a matter that should be a top priority for the mayor and local leadership.' Melanie Klump, CEO and director of Buffalo Disaster Relief Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Community Heroes: Buffalo Disaster Relief flipping former motel to house flood victims
UNICOI, Tenn. (WJHL) — A couple is giving a run-down former motel new life while helping those who lost their homes in the flood. They are from middle Tennessee but moved here after Hurricane Helene. Melanie Klump and her husband bought the motel and are turning it into a space where displaced people from the hurricane can live while they figure out their next step. They plan to use the facility to help flood victims–and others in the future. It was once a motel with a high crime rate. Now, the former Budget Inn is getting a facelift thanks to the Klumps and the folks with Buffalo Disaster Relief. 'So [the] main goal right now is getting the displaced, whether or not they come from North Carolina from Virginia, from South Carolina, from Tennessee,' Klump said. 'However, we need to get these people stability'. The Klumps have gutted each room, and are ready to implement the next step in the process. 'We have volunteers that are on standby. We have contractors that are on standby. We have been making sure that we are following everything to a tee to make sure that we go through the fire marshal and get their approval first we get our proper building permits.' The group needs donations, skilled workers and volunteers for demolition and utility installation. 'We need them to understand that this is going to open up 69 doors for people. So it's not about us or Buffalo Disaster or anything, it's about the displaced, it's about the people that are living in campers or living in tents that don't have a home to go to.' Klump says her long-term plans for the building will shift to another population in need after flood recovery has dwindled: Veterans. 'The long-term goal is to get these guys, educate them get them stable, get them into permanent housing,' she said. 'And then from there, we are we've been reaching out to the Veterans Association to see what we can do. Long-term goal, there's always going to be a crisis in the need. But the first and foremost is the hurricane.' It's a commitment to an area hard-hit by the hurricane that will have a lasting impact. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
