COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — As winter approaches, some survivors in Cocke County are without permanent shelter after Hurricane Helene devastated the area. Jeff Houser is stepping in to provide relief.
He originally bought land in the county with plans to build a campground. But after the hurricane left hundreds with flood-damaged homes, he saw a greater need.
“There’s a big need for it. I mean, we can’t let these people sleep in tents along the riverbanks all winter long,” Houser said. “It did devastation here. It’s bad. A lot of things ain’t getting out, but we’ve got a lot of problems here right now."
Houser is using his land to place 20 fully functional cabins. Ten of the units have already been claimed. He is primarily funding the project himself but has set up donation boxes around the county to help cover costs.
“We put out change boxes stating what we were doing in convenience stores and stuff. And other than that, I’m using all my own money,” Houser said.
He hopes the cabins will provide critical support to his community in its time of need.
“We’ve always helped people no matter where I live. We’ve helped people out to the best of our ability,” Houser said.
Houser is charging rent but said that he plans to make it as affordable as possible.