The new North Carolina state budget allocates $706.1 million for Hurricane Helene recovery in the western part of the state, with funding for housing, private roads and bridges, and the state share of programs funded jointly with FEMA.
It is the first full state budget North Carolina has approved since the storm, although it is not the first recovery aid. It is the sixth package approved since September 2024.
Kevin Madsen, Buncombe County’s Helene recovery officer, told Enlace Latino NC by email that the funding “will show progress in home repair and reconstruction, on private roads and bridges,” as well as in the work of the Long-Term Recovery Group.
That group, BCLTRG, accompanies families who still have unresolved storm damage on a case-by-case basis and is fiscally sponsored by United Way of Asheville Buncombe. “This funding is a significant boost, but we will need much more,” Sarah Roth, the organization’s interim executive director, told this outlet.
The scale of the damage explains that caution. According to the county report, more than 60% of local properties sustained damage. In addition, the document counts 372 homes destroyed and more than 11,000 in need of major repairs. A great many of them are still in that situation, nearly two years later.
What Will the $706.1 Million Be Used For?
The first thing to know is that the money will not reach affected families directly in the form of a check or financial assistance. Instead, each allocation funds a specific program, with its own requirements.
Here is the breakdown:
- $450 million to cover the state share of federal recovery programs
- $65 million in capital grants for local governments, with up to $30 million for volunteer fire departments
- $40 million for temporary housing for Renew NC participants
- $35 million for volunteer organizations that repair and rebuild homes
- $30 million for private roads and bridges, with $8 million set aside for volunteer organizations
- $27 million in a specific grant for Madison County
- $5 million for Veterans Restoration Quarters in Asheville
- The remainder for other projects, such as flood measurement systems
What Will the $450 Million Allocation Be Used For?
That money is used to complete federal programs. FEMA does not pay the full cost of recovery projects: It covers most of it and requires the state or local government to provide the rest, between 10% and 25%, depending on the program.
That percentage is what the state budget now provides. With that money, Madsen said, the projects are “100% funded by the county.”
The funds support FEMA programs to repair public infrastructure and reduce the risk from future disasters. They also fund two options for homeowners: having the government purchase the damaged property or having it elevated above the base flood level.
Madsen also explained that residents can “receive the pre-disaster market value for the purchase of their Helene-damaged properties.” In other words, the payment corresponds to what the home was worth before the storm.
Temporary Housing: Where to Live While the Home Is Being Repaired
The $40 million covers housing for those enrolled in the state’s Renew NC program and for low-income applicants who meet financial hardship requirements and have exhausted other housing options.
But the assistance does not cover everything. The budget, Roth noted, “does not include other critical financial assistance, such as money for storing furniture and personal belongings, and moving costs, for survivors who must vacate their homes for repairs.”
Nor does it reach everyone. The director warned that not all Helene survivors will be served by Renew NC.
Repairing Private Roads and Bridges
Helene damaged more than 8,000 private roads and bridges in the western part of the state, according to the governor’s office.
In many cases, they are the only route used by ambulances, fire trucks, mail carriers and school buses. Above all, they are many people’s only access to their own homes. Because those structures are private, the cost of repairing them falls on the owner.
On this issue, Roth described a case that shows how one problem leads to another: A family had already secured temporary housing to move into while their home was being repaired, but the work could not begin because the road and bridge still had not been repaired. She has also seen homes deteriorate over time, she said, because no one could reach them to work on them.
For his part, Madsen said Buncombe residents submitted applications to the state program. One point to keep in mind is that Gov. Stein had requested $100 million for this allocation, and the General Assembly approved $30 million.
Is the Money Enough?
Thousands of households still have unresolved needs. And according to the BCLTRG director, one of the reasons has to do with what people expected from federal assistance.
“FEMA funding is intended as an emergency measure to stabilize households after a disaster; assistance is generally limited to making the home safe or functional, rather than fully restoring it,” Roth said.
FEMA’s maximum housing grant for Hurricane Helene was $42,500, which rarely covers rebuilding. In addition, many families did not have flood insurance because the storm inundated areas that had not flooded in decades, she explained.
Another problem is that some households are only now asking for help.
“They may have believed there was not a problem, such as mold that appears significantly after the storm, or that they could handle it on their own, but they have already exhausted their personal savings and are exhausted from trying to do it alone,” the director explained.
Among them are older adults and families who were unable to access resources immediately after Helene.
The group is currently handling about 32 active home repair cases and has more than 100 on its waiting list. According to BCLTRG, at the same time, the national and regional organizations that arrived after the storm are pulling out, the state’s case management is winding down, and new referrals are falling to local groups.
“Case managers are the keys that open the door to resources,” Roth warned. “Without continued funding for case management, many households will not be able to access the resources the State offers and may never fully recover.”
Asked whether the $706.1 million covers what is still needed, Madsen did not respond directly. Having additional funding always benefits these efforts, he said. He added: “Continued funding for affordable housing and housing-related programs remains a priority in the county.”
Where to Ask for Help
Those who still have unresolved needs from Helene can complete the BCLTRG form or email info@buncombeltrg.org. A case manager will then contact them to review each situation.
“We are here for the long term and will make an extra effort to assist individuals and households who have been unable to find help elsewhere,” Roth said.
PODCAST
Después de la tormenta
Hace un año, el huracán Helene golpeó al oeste de Carolina del Norte. La comunidad latina respondió con algo más fuerte que la tormenta: solidaridad.
🎧 En este episodio, conoce cómo las organizaciones latinas transformaron la crisis en resiliencia.
▶️ ¡Dale play para escuchar!
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