Buncombe County Residents impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for the County’s Helene Recovery Housing Assistance Grant, providing financial support for rent, mortgage, or utility payments.
Eligible applicants can get help to cover up to three months of bills, helping them in their path toward recovery from the storm. Applications opened on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 8 a.m. and will close on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.
To qualify, applicants must:
- Have resided in Buncombe County prior to Sept. 26, 2024.
- Demonstrate financial hardship caused by Hurricane Helene.
- Have a household income within 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
Payments will be made directly to landlords, mortgage companies, or utility providers. Covered assistance includes:
Rental Assistance: Covers up to three months of overdue rent starting from October 2024 or upcoming rent.
Mortgage Assistance: Covers up to three months of overdue mortgage starting from October 2024 or upcoming mortgage payments.
Utility Assistance: Covers up to three months of past due utility and home energy costs for bills dated after Sept. 27, 2024. Eligible utilities include electricity, gas, water, and sewer.
The grant does not cover debris removal, energy costs such as fuel oil, internet, property taxes, credit card bills, hotel/motel payments, insurance, telephone, cable/satellite services, or lost food from the storm. For additional needs, residents are encouraged to apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance, which may provide longer-term coverage.
Grant Process
The funding for this grant comes from reallocated ARPA funds that the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved on November 1, 2024.
Funds for the Buncombe County Helene Recovery Housing Assistance grant are available until they are exhausted. To better serve the community, all eligible applications received during the open application window will be randomly ranked and will then be served in that order until the money runs out. Funds are limited, so unfortunately not everyone who is eligible will receive funds.
The application is open at buncombecounty.org/publicassistance. Residents with questions can call 828-250-5500 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Written by Buncombe County.