The federal government approved more than $26 million to purchase 75 homes damaged by the Hurricane Helene that impacted western North Carolina in September 2024.
The funds, allocated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will go to properties in Yancey, Henderson, and Polk counties. These are homes affected by flooding and landslides.
According to the agency, these purchases are aimed at homeowners whose houses were “permanently damaged by floods or landslides.”
“The funds announced today (April 6) will make a real difference for the communities in recovery"But our work is not finished," said Karen S. Evans, FEMA's lead official.
A process that is just beginning
Although it is a new allocation, the purchasing process is not immediate.
The approvals allow local governments to begin the "pre-offer" stage. In this phase, property evaluations and appraisals are conducted before a formal offer is submitted.
If the homeowner agrees, the house is demolished and the land is transferred to public ownership. The state initially covers the costs and then seeks reimbursement from FEMA.
Matt Calabria, in charge of the recuperación In western North Carolina, he said at a hearing that this stage “seems like the goal, but it’s actually the beginning of the process,” BPR reported.
Months of delays and pressure to move forward
The announcement comes after months without progress on this program.
In early 2026, FEMA approved a first small group of properties in the western part of the state, mainly in Buncombe and HendersonUp to that point, state authorities had indicated that no projects had been approved, even though hundreds of applications were already being processed.
In total, more than 600 homeowners have applied for the program in North Carolina, according to data cited in state hearings.
The agency took responsibility for the delays due to federal requirements. According to FEMA, some properties did not meet the program's conditions, especially where there were highway projects nearby.
“This is just one example of how bureaucracy affects survivors and delays recovery,” FEMA said in its official statement announcing the new purchases.
The agency said it is now "redoubling its efforts" to resolve these cases. It also noted that it is working to eliminate the backlog of applications and expedite approvals.
The context also includes the federal government shutdown, which lasted for more than 50 days and affected the functioning of the agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in which FEMA operates.
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Where are the houses located?
The 75 homes included in this financing are distributed as follows:
- 53 in Yancey County
- 18 in Henderson County
- 4 in Polk County
The communities include areas such as Burnsville and Green Mountain (Yancey), Fletcher, Gerton and Hendersonville (Henderson), and Tryon and Saluda (Polk).
FEMA He indicated that he expects to announce more funds for property purchases in the coming weeks, while continuing to review pending applications following the impact of Hurricane Helene a year and a half ago.
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After the storm
A year ago, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. The Latino community responded with something stronger than the storm: solidarity.
🎧 In this episode, learn how Latino organizations transformed crisis into resilience.
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