Two unidentified Clarendon families are part of a batch helped recently by the South Carolina Disaster Recovery Office, which announced Wednesday the placement of 11 families in new homes and the release of another 68 award letters for the repair or replacement of homes affected by the October 2015 flood.
The families receiving new housing completed the application and award process through SCDRO in November and December 2016. Their previous homes were severely damaged by the October 2015. The damaged homes were demolished and removed from the property. They are the first of many families SCDRO will serve, according to a release from the organization.
Before receiving an award letter, qualified residents must apply for assistance at one of SCDRO’s intake centers. Award letters notify residents that they have been accepted into the program. The letter also lists the next steps the residents must take to move forward.
Once approved, it is up to the resident to decide if he or she will participate in the program.
Due to privacy issues, SCDRO does not release the names of those assisted, presenting The Manning Times only with the zip code for the residents. Accordingly, the release shows that one home in Alcolu and one in Manning were the ones to be repaired or replaced by the organization.
Other counties included in the recent announcement include Calhoun, Colleton, Darlington, Georgetown, Lee, Sumter and Williamsburg.
SCDRO is accepting resident applications related to the October 2015 storm through April 30. Two permanent application intake centers are located at 318 E. Main St. in Kingstree and 725 Broad St. in Sumter. Each office is open 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
SCDRO also operates mobile offices in several counties in the state. The mobile offices alternate locations between Bamberg, Berkeley, Calhoun, Clarendon, Charleston, Darlington-Florence, Dorchester, Georgetown, Greenville, Spartanburg, Horry, Kershaw, Lee, Marion, Newberry, Fairfield, Greenwood and Orangeburg counties. To make an appointment at one of the intake centers, residents may visit the SCDRO website at www.scstormrecovery.com or call 1 (844) 330-1199.
The goal of SCDRO is to serve as many residents as possible. SCDRO intends to repair or replace about 1,500 homes affected by the October 2015 Storm. The program is designed to assist low- to moderate-income households and serve South Carolina’s most vulnerable population.
The highest priority is given to households with documented damage, households with persons who are 65 years old or older, persons with documented disabilities, or households with children 5 or younger.
