ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — For nearly 30 years, Velma Chapman’s Robinson Avenue house was more than a home.
It was where she raised her children, welcomed grandchildren and built decades of memories.
Then Tropical Storm Helene arrived.
Strong winds and flooding damaged the Asheville home, leaving Chapman facing a future she never expected after her insurance company declined to cover the repairs.
“Well, they didn’t tell me why they didn’t want to do it,” Chapman said.
For a while, Chapman did not know what would happen next.
“It was overwhelming, especially when your insurance company would not approve my claim,” she said. “I didn’t have any idea how I was going to do it until I discovered Renew NC. They were my lifesaver.”
On Wednesday, Chapman unlocked the door to her new home for the first time.
It was a moment she never expected.
“I didn’t know how I was going to do it — get out of my house, find somewhere to stay, all of that,” Chapman said. “But it all fell in place.”
Chapman’s new home represents one piece of a much larger recovery effort across Western North Carolina, where thousands of residents are still waiting for repairs, rebuilding assistance or permanent housing solutions after Tropical Storm Helene.
A new beginning after Helene
Chapman initially expected repairs to her existing home.
“I wanted my siding replaced,” she said. “Did I ever think it would be a new home? No. Never, never, ever.”
After the Renew NC team evaluated the damage, officials determined the storm damage was extensive enough that replacing the home was a better option than repairing the existing structure.
Chapman said the decision came with mixed emotions.
“When they told me that they were going to tear my old house down, I had a lot of feelings about it because I lived in my house for 30 years almost and raised my children, grandchildren,” she said.
“But then I thought about it, and I didn’t turn down having a new house built.”
Chapman moved in with friend Priscilla Robinson while construction was underway.
Robinson said she took Chapman in as soon as Chapman had to leave her damaged home.
On Wednesday, Robinson watched as Chapman stepped inside her new home for the first time.
“It’s nice,” Robinson said. “We came through before it was painted and cleaned up. This is nice.”
The new home was completed in about three and a half months.
For Chapman, the new house represents more than a rebuilt structure — it represents a chance to move forward.
“I’m just so grateful that I have this new start,” Chapman said. “I’m looking forward to getting into the new home, getting everything placed around, and I’m just excited.”
Chapman said she never expected Gov. Josh Stein to be there when she received her keys.
“No, no, no,” she said. “That was a complete surprise.”
Stein joined Chapman on Wednesday to celebrate the milestone, saying her story represents the type of recovery the Renew NC program was created to support.
“To have a situation that’s so bleak and so hard, so emotional, and then to be able to walk into a home and be able to start over, it gives you hope,” Stein said.
After months of uncertainty, Chapman said she is ready for the next chapter.
“I have a safe place,” she said. “I’m just excited about it.”
Renew NC applications in Buncombe County
Chapman’s new home is part of the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program, a statewide recovery effort administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Community Revitalization.
The program is funded through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery award and helps low- and moderate-income households impacted by Tropical Storm Helene repair, rebuild or replace damaged homes.
In Buncombe County, 2,151 homeowners applied for the program. Of those, 763 applications remain active as they move through the review process, according to program data.
The application period has closed.
The program prioritizes households with:
- Residents age 62 and older
- Children under age 18
- People with disabilities
Active applications continue through several review stages, including eligibility checks, duplication-of-benefits reviews, damage assessments, environmental reviews, quality-control checks and construction planning before awards are finalized.
Renew NC serves 29 counties across North Carolina impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, including Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties.
More recovery work ahead
Stein said the state has completed or started work on about 1,000 homes through Renew NC and nonprofit partners, but acknowledged the need remains much greater.
“We know that there is so much more work to do, and we’re focused on doing it,” Stein said.
The governor said the recently approved state budget includes additional funding for Tropical Storm Helene recovery, including money to support housing programs, local governments and temporary relocation assistance.
One challenge officials have encountered is finding temporary housing for residents whose homes are being repaired or rebuilt.
Stein said new funding will help some homeowners move into temporary housing while construction takes place.
“For folks who don’t have anywhere to move from their damaged home, that has been one of the constraints we’ve experienced,” Stein said.
He said temporary housing assistance could allow residents to relocate for roughly 90 to 120 days while reconstruction work is completed.
Rental housing recovery
Renew NC also includes a Small Rental Rehabilitation Program for owners of one- to four-unit rental properties damaged by Tropical Storm Helene.
Eligible properties must have sustained unrepaired storm damage and be located in designated disaster-impact areas. Property owners who receive assistance must agree to maintain affordable rents for income-eligible tenants for 10 years.
The rental program is no longer accepting applications.
Stein said rebuilding Western North Carolina will require more than replacing damaged homes. He said the region needs additional housing options, including apartments, duplexes and other types of housing.
“We need housing of all types,” Stein said. “We need homes, we need apartments — we need everything in Western Carolina.”
For Chapman, the recovery process that began with uncertainty ended Wednesday with a set of keys and a place to call home again.
“I’ve been through storms before,” Chapman said. “Never been through a storm like Hurricane Helene.”
Now, after losing the home where she spent decades of her life, Chapman is looking ahead.
“This is a new start.”