State outlines Renew NC single-family housing program, $450,000 cap per home
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Summary
NC Department of Commerce staff described the federally funded Renew NC program, eligibility rules and application deadlines for homeowners in Alleghany County following Hurricane Helene.
Samantha Gray, director of outreach for the Division of Community Revitalization at the North Carolina Department of Commerce, outlined the Renew NC disaster-recovery programs the state is administering with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding.
Gray told the Alleghany County Board of Commissioners the state received $1.4 billion from HUD for recovery tied to Hurricane Helene. The allotment includes a single-family housing program that launched June 16 with an application deadline of Dec. 31 for the first round; multifamily and workforce-ownership programs will launch later. HUD requires 80% of certain funds be spent in HUD-identified most-impacted-and-distressed areas and requires at least 70% of CDBG-DR funds be used for low- and moderate-income households and communities, Gray said.
The single-family program can repair, rehabilitate, reconstruct or, in some cases, replace owner-occupied houses damaged on Sept. 27, 2024. Eligible structures include site-built and some modular homes; RVs are not eligible. Applicants must be primary occupants, current on taxes and insurance, and either U.S. citizens or lawful residents. Income tiers control eligibility phases; Gray said some applicants with incomes at 120% of area median income may be held for later phases.
Gray said applicants will be assigned a case manager, and the process includes eligibility review, duplication-of-benefits checks and a site-specific environmental review the state will take on. The maximum award listed for a single-family home is $450,000. The program does not pay for relocation during reconstruction; local long-term-recovery groups are coordinating short-term housing needs. As of Gray's update, Alleghany County had 37 applicants, 29 in review and five confirmed eligible; three of those were in environmental review.
Gray provided details about local assistance: an Alleghany office at the NCWorks Career Center is open Wednesdays 9 a.m.–4 p.m., and regional offices in Asheville, Boone and Marion operate Monday–Saturday. She said landlords owning four or fewer units may be served through an administered small-multifamily track and that economic-revitalization and community-infrastructure programs for local governments are scheduled to launch in 2026.
Gray advised applicants to gather ID, proof of primary residence, income documentation and any insurance or FEMA payments to document duplication of benefits. She also noted HUD spending and targeting rules and that the state action plan remained under review pending federal approvals.
The presentation closed with board members asking procedural questions about timelines and awards; Gray said the state aims to spend the funds within six years and expected to complete the single-family program within three years.
