On April 11, country musician and North Carolina native Eric Church broke ground on an Avery County housing development for Hurricane Helene victims. The ground-breaking included local leaders, supporters, and community members.
“The land we stand on today sits in the heart of a county that has meant so much to me,” said Church in a press release. “This is a place my family and I are proud to call home… Mountain people, my people.”
The Chief Cares Foundation, founded by Church and his wife Katherine, shifted its mission following Hurricane Helene to target a rising need to keep people in their communities in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Blue Haven will host 40 to 45 homes, offering a variety of floor plans from one to three bedrooms. Chief Cares and its partners spearhead the effort by acquiring the land, developing the infrastructure, and constructing the homes. In addition, Chief Cares will provide financial assistance for up to three years to select families as they put their lives back together. Families will also have the option to purchase their homes, with help accessing resources provided by Chief Cares as needed.
“The community in this extraordinary setting will provide a shelter of time for its members and owners,” continued Church. “We put a house where your home is so that that house can be your home.”
Emergency relief efforts are essential in the aftermath of a disaster, but Chief Cares is focused on the next step: helping families forge a way forward to dignity, homeownership, and stability. The effort was launched under Chief Cares’ initiative, Blueprint for the Blue Ridge.
“We realized that keeping the people in their communities after the disaster was a problem with no real solution. We wanted to change that,” said Church. “This is truly a hand-up, not a handout. Dignity and community are key to the long-term success of the Blueprint.”
Recently, Church announced through Chief Cares that he is looking to purchase more land, as the development has already sold out even before the ground-breaking. Families are expected to inhabit Blue Haven by the end of this summer, as homes are currently under construction. Chief Cares says their ultimate goal is to develop a nationally recognized model for disaster recovery grounded in the enduring values of permanence, pride, and place.
“It is our hope and belief that this will provide guidance and support to other communities facing devastation,” concluded Church. “A map to a destination of keeping those communities intact.”