The City of Asheville and the State of North Carolina have entered into a formal partnership to use $3 million in disaster recovery funds for home repair and reconstruction for local homeowners affected by Tropical Storm Helene. The agreement was signed by North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley on January 7, 2026. The application period for the Renew NC Single-Family Home Repair Program remains open through January 31 at RenewNC.org.
This funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocation to Asheville. It is dedicated to assisting homeowners across 28 counties whose primary residences were damaged by the storm in September 2024.
In January 2025, HUD allocated disaster recovery funding to Asheville to support long-term housing recovery efforts. The city’s CDBG-DR Action Plan designated $3 million specifically for unmet repair and reconstruction needs for owner-occupied, single-family homes through the Renew NC program.
The City of Asheville is working with the State Department of Commerce’s Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program to manage applications, determine eligibility, conduct environmental reviews, provide case management, and oversee construction activities. The city will reimburse the state only for eligible construction costs within city limits and will monitor compliance and execution.
“This partnership represents a critical turning point for our community,” said CDBG-DR Program Manager Elma King. “While emergency aid helped us get through the immediate aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, these CDBG-DR funds are about long-term stability – ensuring that our residents aren’t just back in their houses, but are safe in homes that are fully repaired or rebuilt.”
Assistance will be distributed using a tiered approach that prioritizes households earning less than 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) with children, elderly residents, or individuals with disabilities before moving to higher income categories if funds remain. Funding per household is capped at $50,000 for rehabilitation and up to $450,000 for reconstruction based on eligibility and need.
“The State’s Renew NC program is already helping homeowners across Western North Carolina. By joining forces with the State’s Renew NC program, we are working to make the most of every dollar and every day since the Helene,” King said. “We are using Asheville’s recovery funding to pay for hard construction costs, allowing us to efficiently provide high-quality reconstruction and rehabilitation services that meet federal standards without duplicating administrative efforts.”
The Asheville City Council authorized this subrecipient agreement with the state in October 2025 so that the city could move forward with using its $3 million allocation for single-family housing repairs.
Homeowners impacted by Tropical Storm Helene are encouraged to apply as soon as possible before the January 31 deadline at https://renewnc.org/. More information about Asheville’s CDBG-DR Program can be found at https://www.ashevillerecovers.org/.
Asheville operates as a municipal government providing essential services such as water utilities, public safety, parks, infrastructure management, and community planning through various departments focused on sustainable growth and equitable development according to its official website. The city functions under a council-manager government structure where elected officials set policy while a city manager oversees daily operations (source). Its main offices are located at 70 Court Plaza (source).
