Renew NC, North Carolina’s housing recovery program, has announced an extension for the application deadline to its Single-Family Housing Program (SFHP) for western North Carolina homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene. The new deadline is now January 31, providing residents with an extra month to apply for assistance in repairing, reconstructing, or replacing homes damaged by the hurricane.
Governor Josh Stein commented on the extension: “It has been a very challenging year for our neighbors in western North Carolina, and we want to give folks every opportunity to apply for housing support,” said Governor Josh Stein. “So, we’re extending the application deadline until the end of January to alleviate stress this holiday season and offer more time for homeowners to get their applications in.”
Since its launch in June, SFHP has received over 6,500 applications. Repair and reconstruction efforts began this fall, with completed projects reported in Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, and Polk counties. Additional work is underway across several other counties.
N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley addressed community requests regarding the deadline: “Many western NC communities have requested this extension, and we heard you,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Communities across the region are still working through the storm’s aftermath, and this additional time will help homeowners gather the necessary information to complete their applications.”
Renew NC operates under the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Revitalization (DCR), with ongoing construction currently happening in Buncombe, Cleveland, Gaston, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Watauga, and Wilkes counties.
The program focuses on supporting low- to moderate-income families who include seniors aged 62 or older, children under 18 years old or disabled household members. It is available to homeowners in 28 western North Carolina counties as well as one ZIP code area within Mecklenburg County (28214).
Homeowners who have previously received assistance from FEMA or insurance policies due to Hurricane Helene can still apply if they have unmet needs that remain after other aid has been used.
Assistance is available at Renew NC intake centers located in Asheville, Boone and Marion from Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., with additional locations throughout western North Carolina offering varying hours.
For further details about eligibility or application procedures for SFHP assistance programs visit RenewNC.org or call (888) 791-0207; information is also available via staff at intake centers or through the Renew NC app on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
After January 31st passes without further extensions anticipated at this time—Renew NC will focus entirely on processing existing applications and advancing qualified applicants into subsequent review stages as efficiently as possible.
Funding for Renew NC comes from a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery grant provided by HUD; $807 million out of $1.4 billion allocated statewide supports this specific single-family housing effort targeting post-Hurricane Helene recovery needs across western North Carolina communities.
Additional administrative details can be found at CommerceRecovery.nc.gov.
