Hurricanes Matthew and Florence left many Lumberton residents homeless, victims of Mother Nature’s cruel, or if you prefer, mindless, assault of wind and rain. Some of these storm victims still are without homes, four years after being cast adrift by the hurricanes’ fury and floodwaters.

No one who hasn’t been in their situation can claim to truly understand the despair, frustration and anger they feel. Those dark emotions are only exacerbated by what seems to be the snail’s pace at which government help is moving.

But help is coming. We learned recently that the City of Lumberton is in the process of building new homes, some intended for low-income residents displaced by the hurricanes and some for elderly residents. The city’s expectation is to have more than 300 housing units built by the fourth quarter of 2021.

“What’s taking so long?” you may ask.

One must understand that much of this housing is being paid for, at least in part, with government money. And anyone, public official or private citizen, who has ever dealt with the government, particularly federal, can tell you that when governmental bureaucracies are involved the process can be monumentally time-consuming and excruciatingly frustrating. And almost all of the storm-ravaged houses being built, repaired or elevated are at the mercy of government rules, procedures and funding schedules.

Kudos to our leaders, elected and otherwise, for enduring and successfully negotiating the maze of government bureaucracy as well as they have to date.

The affected city residents also are at the mercy of the slow flow of information from all levels of government. And not knowing what’s happening can be as maddening as waiting on a home to be repaired or rebuilt. That’s why they turn to their Lumberton City Council representatives for help finding out the status of their claims.

Of course, they are better served by representatives who sit through meetings so they can properly address their constituents’ concerns and the city’s housing needs. This didn’t happen during a Sept. 16 City Council meeting. Two members walked out after a debate about a housing development planned for property on Hornets Road. It seems there were concerns about potential drainage problems.

Two members argued the opposition was fueled by racism and walked out of the meeting. This is an act that would have been more dramatic, if that was the intent, if members of the public hadn’t been prohibited from attending the meeting because of COVID-19 restrictions. As it was, no one not associated with city government was there to watch them walk out.

To add insult to injury, because the two councilmen left without Council approval and weren’t there to cast a vote, the two absent councilmen were recorded as having voted to reject, at least for now, the housing development.

In the meantime the Housing Authority of the City of Lumberton is pursing plans to built a new complex designed to serve low-income residents, specifically those displaced by the hurricanes. Again, this is a government funded and regulated project, so it could be a couple years, or more, before anyone can move in.

So, Lumberton’s displaced storm victims should know that help is in the offing. It’s just going to take more time.