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    • Homeowner Assistance Programs Open in Buncombe County After Helene
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    Homeowner Assistance Programs Open in Buncombe County After Helene

    Pabio Posted on

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    ASHEVILLE – As the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s first manufactured homes arrive Western North CarolinaResidents whose homes were damaged or destroyed during catastrophic flooding caused by Tropical Storm Helena could benefit from additional assistance offered by the county and state in the coming days.

    As FEMA extended the deadline for residents to apply for assistance until January 7, 2025other programs, like the Buncombe County Homeowner Grant Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, have just opened or temporarily reopened. Here’s what you need to know:

    Buncombe County Homeowner Grant Program

    Buncombe County has reopened the application period for the Homeowner Grant Program, where eligible county residents can receive up to $300 and city residents up to $500. Applications for the program have reopened until November 15as the county aims to give storm-affected homeowners more time to apply.

    Eligible applicants must have lived in their home for five years or more, it must be their primary residence, and their income must be at or below 80% of the area median income. Additionally, their household may not already receive tax deferral assistance or have more than $60,000 in liquid assets.

    Applications can be obtained at buncombecounty.org/homeownergrant or by calling 828-250-5500. Telephone support is available in several languages.

    Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

    The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is a FEMA program that provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments so they can develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild “in a manner that reduces or to mitigate future disaster losses in their communities,” according to FEMA website.

    The program applies to homes and properties that were destroyed or heavily damaged during the storm, and local governments determine eligible, high-priority projects to be addressed under the program, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

    At the Nov. 8 Buncombe County press conference, Steve McGugan, deputy director of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, explained that the process involves the following types of projects:

    • Acquisitions – If your property has been severely damaged and you are located in a flood zone and you wish to move from this area, you can register for the acquisition program. Your house will be purchased at the value that your property would have been assessed on the day before the loss. The property could be used in ways that would benefit the community in the future, such as creating parks and greenways.
    • Elevations – These are carried out when your house may have had water on the first floor and you are in a flood zone. The program helps raise your home 2 feet above the 100-year flood level with a new foundation. Temporary accommodation will be provided and no household items should be moved out of the house for the process.
    • Mitigation reconstruction – If your house is deemed ineligible for elevation, this program involves demolishing the old house and building a new foundation, then building a new house. Newly constructed homes will be built to standard floor plans.

    The program will be held in Buncombe County and accepting applications from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Nov. 12-15, at the East Asheville Library. A team will be on hand to answer questions, help complete paper application forms and check tax maps to ensure names, signatures and location in flood zones. Technically, property owners do not apply directly, but Buncombe County will work with property owners to apply on their behalf.

    Evictions from social housing: After Hélène, residents evicted from Asheville have “nowhere to go”

    Other housing assistance programs to come

    Earlier this month, Buncombe County commissioners voted to approve more than $1.5 million for a household assistance program. The money was originally allocated as a match to complete the BellSouth Telecommunications broadband completion project. The county is currently working to identify a nonprofit partner to administer the household assistance program.

    Legal advice for Hélène’s survivors

    Free disaster-related legal advice, assistance and referrals are available to eligible North Carolina homeowners and renters in designated disaster counties as they recover from Helene. For legal assistance, call 1-866-219-5262 and dial 2657. The toll-free helpline is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. More information about legal assistance for North Carolina residents is available online at: legalaidnc.org/disaster.

    Will Hofmann is a growth and development reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today network. Do you have any advice? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription at the Citizen Times.

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