people are heading to City Hall for a 6:00 meeting related to a buyout program offered by the city as part of their flooding mitigation efforts. Residents living off Cross Creek Trail received a letter about the program and some feel they have no choice but to opt into it, while others are not ready to leave their homes. Angelina Hughley, one of the homeowners notified about the buyout grant program, expresses that although the city claims it is voluntary, it doesn’t feel that way to the homeowners as there are no other good solutions.
The letter identifies Hughley’s house as a distressed property due to past flooding damage. She attended meetings with city leaders to learn about the grant application process and understands that opting into the program means their houses will be bought out and the land will become green space. However, she believes the amount the government is offering is based on tax assessment and not close to appraisals.
Hughley and her husband were already considering selling their home for other reasons. If the grant is approved by FEMA, she hopes city leaders will treat every homeowner fairly and provide them with compensation for their whole lives that were spent in those homes. The deadline for homeowners to inform the city about their decision to opt into the program is December 1st.
The city manager mentioned that there will be a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss this further. This update comes from Pelham..
