Renew NC, North Carolina’s housing recovery program, announced on Friday that it has extended the deadline for western North Carolina homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene to apply for assistance through the Single-Family Housing Program (SFHP) from Dec. 31 to Jan. 31.
The extension provides one additional month for homeowners to submit applications for help with repairing, reconstructing, or replacing homes damaged by Helene.
“It has been a very challenging year for our neighbors in western North Carolina, and we want to give folks every opportunity to apply for housing support,” Democratic Gov. Josh Stein said in a press release. “So, we’re extending the application deadline until the end of January to alleviate stress this holiday season and offer more time for homeowners to get their applications in.”
Renew NC programs are funded through a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of the total $1.4 billion in CDBG-DR funding allocated to the state for western North Carolina recovery needs, $807 million supports the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program.
The SFHP is administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Revitalization (DCR) and provides the 4Rs to owners of homes damaged by Helene (reimbursement, replacement, reconstruction, and rehabilitation).
Since the program launched in June, it has received over 6,500 applications, and repairs and reconstruction are expected to begin this fall. Projects have already been completed in Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, and Polk counties, with many more under construction and in the pipeline.
“Many western NC communities have requested this extension, and we heard you,” North Carolina Secretary Lee Lilley said in the release. “Communities across the region are still working through the storm’s aftermath, and this additional time will help homeowners gather the necessary information to complete their applications.”
Construction is currently underway in Buncombe, Cleveland, Gaston, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Watauga, and Wilkes counties.
The Single-Family Housing Program prioritizes low- to moderate-income families with seniors ages 62 and older, children under 18, and/or disabled household members, and is open to homeowners in 28 full western NC counties and one ZIP code in Mecklenburg: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg (28214), Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
Homeowners who have already received Helene-related assistance from FEMA or a home insurance policy can still apply to the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program. The program is designed to address housing recovery needs that remain after all other forms of assistance have been exhausted.
Homeowners can receive in-person assistance in English or Spanish at Renew NC intake centers in Asheville, Boone, and Marion, where case managers are available Monday through Saturday from 8am to 6pm. Renew NC also operates more than a dozen additional locations across western North Carolina, each with varying hours throughout the week.
Homeowners seeking more information about the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program can visit RenewNC.org, call (888) 791-0207, or visit an in-person location.
