BUCM Director: Homeless not accepted at county's emergency shelter

As Hurricane Helene began her assault on Burke County in the late evening hours of Thursday, Sept. 26, county officials set up an emergency shelter at Oak Hill United Methodist Church.

But a Morganton ministry known for its work with the homeless said not everyone was welcome there.

Burke United Christian Ministries Executive Director Alice Horton said BUCM staffers who took several clients to the shelter that evening told her that Burke Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Director Mike Willis refused to let them stay, saying the emergency shelter was “for tax-paying citizens only.”

The incident was reported to Horton around 9:30 Thursday night (Sept. 26). She said the shelter had initially accepted four of the people BUCM transported but refused to take in anymore because they were presumably homeless.

“That little, small snippet of a moment was not handled properly,” Horton said. “It wasn’t. No matter the bias that you have against a population, that should never carry through in a time of crisis, in a moment of service.”

“The discrimination in that moment was criminal.”

Willis said it wasn’t the county’s intention to discriminate against anyone, and said the refusal was based on logistics.

“Here in Burke County, our policy is to serve everyone who lives here,” Willis said early Friday morning. “As we set up our emergency shelter ahead of Hurricane Helene, we based the anticipated numbers by households at highest risk for severe damage.

“At the onset of this historic storm, we were concerned about available shelter capacity and the responsibility to manage that.”

A North Carolina statute prohibits discrimination based on a number of factors including economic status, in the distribution of supplies and services during emergency operations.

In the end, the ministry footed the $2,800 bill to put 18 clients up in a motel from Friday night through Sunday.

Horton emphasized she isn’t upset with Oak Hill Methodist, the volunteers who worked at the shelter, or the Red Cross. She also expressed her appreciation for the way the county handled the Hurricane Helene emergency, with the exception of that lone incident.

“I realize that in the following hours and days, there were all kinds of crises that were happening, and people were hurt, and the county responded in a beautiful way,” Horton said. “They did everything they could for anybody they could. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m saying in this small snapshot, we were trying to meet a need in that moment, and there should have been compassion.”

The Red Cross took over management of the shelter Monday, Sept. 30, but it was closed when a new, larger shelter was opened in Caldwell County. The Burke shelter housed as many as a couple dozen people at times during the crisis, but was down to six by the time the Caldwell shelter replaced it.

County Manager Brian Epley said a number of those who stayed at the shelter were homeless prior to the storm.

“I visited the shelter several times in the days after it was opened, and there were people who did not have a home before the storm that were staying in the shelter,” Epley said. “I think that’s a critical piece to include. If there was any push-back during that event, it was to try to manage what limited resources we had.”

Willis said he appreciated BUCM’s commitment to keeping clients safe.

“We are grateful for Burke United Christian Ministries, who was able to help find nearby lodging for four individuals that were seeking shelter,” Willis said. “We place a strong emphasis on public safety and well-being, and we are pleased to report in the hours following the storm, the shelter was able to accommodate numerous individuals who were displaced prior to and during the storm. Most importantly, nobody was left in an unsafe condition.”