NC launches $807M housing program for Helene recovery in WNC

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — North Carolina has opened applications for a new program to help homeowners in western parts of the state repair or rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by Tropical Storm Helene, Gov. Josh Stein announced Monday.

The Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program is the first in a series of long-term recovery efforts led by the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Revitalization. The initiative will prioritize low- to moderate-income families and is funded through a federal disaster recovery grant.

“Helene caused significant damage to thousands of homes across Western North Carolina,” Stein said in a statement. “There is a lot of work to do, and the Renew NC Housing program is the next step in helping Western North Carolinians recover.”

Of the $1.4 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds awarded to the state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $807 million will be directed to the single-family housing program.

Additional programs addressing multi-family and workforce housing, as well as infrastructure and economic revitalization, are expected to launch later this year.

“We’re ready to get hammers swinging and home construction underway,” N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said in the news release.

Stephanie McGarrah, deputy secretary for the Division of Community Revitalization and a native of Western North Carolina, said the state is working with “urgency and care” to help families rebuild.

Eligible counties include: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg (zip code 28214 only), Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.

Homeowners can apply or find out if they qualify by visiting www.renewnc.org or calling 1-888-791-0207. More information on the Renew NC programs is also available at CommerceRecovery.nc.gov.

“If your home was damaged by Hurricane Helene, you may be eligible for assistance depending on your income, so I encourage you to apply today,” Stein said in the statement.