WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
When the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred headed toward Western North Carolina in 2021, no one expected the devastation that followed.
Now almost three years later, some Haywood County residents still are rebuilding, and a program to help them do that is accepting applications again.
“I had not heard that. But that’s good news,” Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said Tuesday afternoon.
Canton was one of the areas swamped by floodwaters when the Pigeon River and nearby streams left their banks after more than a foot of rain fell in places.
In total, 114 homes or structures, including barns and outbuildings, were destroyed, Haywood County Public Information Office Allison Richmond said.
Thirty-eight families were displaced and needed shelter in the months following the flooding, Richmond said.
“To my knowledge, all have found some type of housing since then. Our sheltering operation officially ended in December 2021,” she said.
The Haywood County Homeownership Assistance Program (HAP) has reopened the application period for eligible storm-displaced homeowners and first-time homebuyers seeking financial help with buying a home in the county. The program, which was administered in partnership with the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), paused applications in late April to ensure available federal funding would cover applications already in process, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website.
The HAP assisted homebuyers displaced by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred or first-time homebuyers that are income-qualified.
“A good number of folks who applied the first time didn’t qualify,” Haywood County Public Information Officer Dillon Huffman said.
The hope is more people will qualify this time around.
More than $1 million is available to offset homeownership costs, including up to 30 percent in down payment assistance and up to 5 percent in closing cost assistance. Homebuyer education and counseling will also be offered and must be completed before closing.
“The program is working with a number of applicants who are in the process of providing documentation to support their application,” NCORR Community Development Director Tracey Colores said. “More than $1 million is still available to applicants who meet the homebuyer and property requirements for homeownership assistance funding.”
Interested applicants should read the program requirements to ensure their application meets the homebuyer and property rules for acceptance. Those interested parties should be pre-approved by a lender and prepared to provide the required documentation before applying. Failure to follow these guidelines may disqualify applicants. Funding is limited, so not everyone will receive assistance.