Re-opening of Homeowner Grant Program, and Free Legal Counseling, Funding for Property Resiliency

Last night, keys were handed over to the first family receiving a manufactured home from FEMA. This home was placed on their property, and with those keys, hopefully a small sense of normalcy was regained. About 142 families have qualified for homes like these. Next, their properties will be inspected to ensure that they can safely be placed there. The manufactured homes can be lived in until families have a new home to transition to. 

2024 Homeowner Grant Program Re-Opening 
Buncombe County is re-opening applications for the 2024 Homeowner Grant Program to give the community impacted by Hurricane Helene more time to complete and submit applications. The deadline was Sept. 30, but with the storm’s devastation, we want to make sure people have time to access these funds. 

Applications will open Nov.11-15 and can be obtained at buncombecounty.org/homeownergrant or by calling (828) 250-5500.Phone support is available in any language. The website currently states that applications are closed but it will be updated Monday. 
Qualified homeowners will have an opportunity to receive financial assistance for housing-related costs like property tax bills, housing costs, mortgage, or homeowner’s insurance. 

Applicants may qualify for up to $300 in Buncombe County and up to $500 in the City of Asheville. Applicants who received grants last year will need to reapply. Payments are made directly to the source of the approved bill, not applicants.  

Eligibility: 

• You must have owned and lived in your home for 5 years or more 
• Your home must be your primary and only residence 
• Your household income is at or below 80% of area median income (AMI) 
• Your household cannot already be receiving tax deferment assistance like elderly/disabled, or Veterans exemptions. 
• You must not have more than $60,000 in liquid resources (for example: your cash on hand, checking & savings accounts combined, or other investments available to you within 7 days) 

Free Disaster-Related Legal Counseling 
Free disaster-related legal counseling, assistance, and referrals are available for eligible Buncombe County storm survivors. People do not need to apply for FEMA assistance to receive Disaster Legal Services to assist with insurance policies, foreclosures, home repair contracts and more. 
For legal assistance, call 1-866-219-5262 and dial 2657. The hotline is available 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays. Disaster Legal Services attorneys are not FEMA employees; they are volunteers who provide survivors with legal counseling, advice, and, when appropriate, legal representation in non-fee-generating cases that are not against the Federal Government. More information, go to legalaidnc.org/disaster. 

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program 
Hazard Mitigation funding is available to help make communities more resilient and less susceptible to damages from future disasters in three ways: 

• Acquisition: The purchase of a home and property. This project moves people out of the 100-year floodplain or floodway, demolishes the property, and leaves it natural into perpetuity preventing future flood damage. It requires structures to be removed from acquired property and the property must be maintained in perpetuity as open space. This is the most permanent type of mitigation 
• Elevations: The act of raising a home in the 100-year floodplain to a minimum of 2 feet above Base Flood Elevation, avoiding potential future flood damage. This is one of the most common mitigation techniques used for retrofitting flood-prone properties. 
• Mitigation Reconstruction: The act of raising a home in the 100-year floodplain to a minimum of 2 feet above Base Flood Elevation, avoiding potential future flood damage. This includes demolition, site grading and preparation, and new construction. 

Applications for Hazard Mitigation Grants are now open. It is recommended that homeowners: 

• Watch a 8-minute video. 
• Complete the Homeowner Interest Form on the same page or apply in-person at: 
  • Asheville Mall, November 12-15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

Water Restoration Updates 
The turbidity at the North Fork Reservoir reached a low of under 17 and is peaking at 17.4. The third round of in-reservoir treatment will begin next week. 

The North Fork Reservoir is now able to push 19 million gallons of water per day. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Interim Pre-Treatment System has been awarded to a contractor who will be on-site next week. This is a back-up project that will occur concurrently with the in-reservoir turbidity treatment.  

A Boil Water Notice remains in place for all City of Asheville water customers.  

Environmental Health 
On Veterans Day, Environmental Health won’t be accepting water samples. During the week of Thanksgiving, they will only accept water samples on Monday, Nov. 25.   

Community Care Stations 
The County’s Community Care Stations are open daily, including Monday, from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. with showers, laundry, and more. All Community Care Stations have ADA accessible showers and bathrooms, and laundry drop off and pickup is available at the Swannanoa Ingles. The locations are: 

• At Home Store parking lot  
• Big Lots/Innsbrook mall  
• Buncombe County Sports Park  
• Bethel United Methodist  
• Fairview Ingles 
• Swannanoa Ingles  
• Owen Pool  
• Morgan Hill Baptist Church 

 
Water and Food Distribution 
Water and meals ready to eat are available at distribution sites daily at:   

• Sky Lanes Bowling Alley   
• Black Mountain Ingles   
• Swannanoa Ingles   
• Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center   
• Pack Square Park   
• Buncombe County Sports Park   
• Fairview Ingles   

The Buncombe County Public Health Mobile Team will be out next week providing free vaccines. Their schedule for next week is:  

• Tuesday and Friday – Noon-6 p.m. – Swannanoa Ingles and Tunnel Road Community Care Stations.  
• Wednesday – 11 a.m.-4 p.m. – Big Ivy Community Center 
• Thursday – 2-5 p.m. – Bounty & Soul market at the former BI-LO in Black Mountain 

FEMA 
On Saturday, the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at Cane Creek Pool will be relocated to the Asheville Mall at 3 S. Tunnel Road, across from the Bath & Body Works store. This location is accessible for those who use public transit through ART bus route WE1. 

The Disaster Recovery Center is a one-stop shop to get in-person assistance from FEMA and the Small Business Administration. 
Today and Saturday, the Mobile Disaster Recovery Center will be at the Buncombe County Sports Park from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.  

Solid Waste 
The transition to FCC Environmental from Waste Pro is effective Jan. 1. FCC Environmental will host a hiring event on Tuesday, November 19, and Wednesday, November 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn at 309 College St. in Asheville. 

A reminder that any events hosted by solid waste, including the Household Hazardous Waste Collection events have been canceled until further notice to focus on restoring critical waste and recycling infrastructure. 

Storm Debris 
More than 100,000 cubic yards of debris have been collected and crews continue to collect between 12,000 and 15,000 cubic yards per day. For reference, it takes 2,690 loads to gather 100,000 cubic yards, so that’s a lot of truck traffic, and we currently have 45 trucks running in the county. Crews are working in Swannanoa, Julian Shoals, Lower Brush Creek, Black Mountain, and Barnardsville. Some crews are also starting in the Northwest part of the County.  

The attached map below shows the collections zones currently being worked on. Crews are in B, C, D, E, H & G.  

The County is actively working to launch a Helene Private Property Debris Removal and Demolition program alongside federal partners including FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as well as the State of North Carolina. The application process will be announced very soon. 

While the One Buncombe Call Center is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 828-250-6100, it will be closed on Monday in observance of Veterans Day.