In the months following a major disaster, communities often experience a new — or worsened — housing crisis due to damaged homes and buildings, a lack of temporary housing, and skyrocketing rent prices. As Blue Ridge Public Radio reported, estimates suggest 126,000 homes were damaged by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. In Buncombe County, where Asheville is, hundreds of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed — and rental stock was already in short supply in western North Carolina before the storm.
Hundreds more are facing evictions two months after the storm. Many people are still waiting on Federal Emergency Management Agency aid for housing assistance. FEMA is starting to send trailers to the area, but many people are still living in tents as temperatures drop below freezing.
There are options for both renters and homeowners needing help with rent and mortgage payments, rebuilding assistance, utility payments, and more. Grist and Blue Ridge Public Radio put together a guide to help residents in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina navigate everything from government assistance to eviction prevention to hiring contractors.
FEMA aid
If you are a U.S. citizen, or meet certain qualifications as a non-citizen, and live in a federal disaster declaration area, you are eligible to apply for FEMA aid, which can help with emergency costs as well as temporary housing costs, rental assistance, payments for lost property, and more.
The current deadline to apply for assistance is January 7, 2025. There are a few ways to apply:
- Visit DisasterAssistance.gov
- Download FEMA’s mobile app
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362
- FEMA currently has 25 Disaster Recovery Centers throughout North Carolina and Tennessee to assist survivors. Find the closest one to you by putting in your state or address.
Rental assistance
You must apply for disaster assistance to be considered for rental assistance. FEMA funds can be used for rent, including a security deposit, and utilities such as electricity and water, at a place other than your damaged home. Your rental can be a house, apartment, hotel, or recreational vehicle. Residents in counties with a federal disaster declaration are eligible to apply for rental assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. The rental assistance rate is set by an area’s Fair Market Rent; look up yours here.
Key things to know:
- According to FEMA, fewer than 10 percent of those who registered for disaster aid met the criteria for initial rental assistance.
- If you were already approved for rental assistance, an application for continued rental assistance is normally mailed to the rental assistance recipient 15 days after the grant is approved. If you do not receive one, call FEMA at 800-621-3362 or visit a disaster recovery center.
- To receive continuing rental assistance, you must be able to demonstrate ongoing need, and prove that you are working towards securing permanent housing or making progress on repairs. According to FEMA, a contractor’s estimate of repairs can count as that documentation.
- Extensions on rental assistance may be granted for three-month periods up to a maximum of 18 months from Sept. 28, 2024.
- You may receive an automated phone call with a notification about ongoing assistance, so answer unknown numbers.
- If FEMA denies your application or you need more than the award amount, you can appeal. Appeals must be submitted within 60 days of the date on the FEMA decision letter. The appeal process is often lengthy. Here’s more information.
- You’ll have to meet specific requirements for any FEMA aid you receive or reimbursements you plan to ask for. The Asheville Citizen-Times has a comprehensive look at how you can spend FEMA money. For instance, you can get reimbursed if you bought a generator while your power was out; you can get money to assist with home repairs and accessibility features.
Rent, mortgage, and utility assistance
Government assistance
You may qualify for funds to help with rent and utility payments, security deposits, and eviction prevention. There are some federal government-funded programs that serve to provide rental and electricity bill assistance that you may qualify for after the storm, even if you didn’t previously.
- The Low Income Energy Assistance Program or Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP or LIHEAP) assists low income households, primarily those who pay a high proportion of income on energy, in meeting their immediate energy needs. You must meet certain income qualifications.
- In Tennessee, you must be at or below 60% of the State Median Income. Check here to see if you’re eligible. Call the Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency for more information: 423-246-6180.
- In North Carolina, you must meet an income test and have reserves at or below $2,250. Contact your local Department of Social Services for application dates and more information.
- Buncombe County: Contact the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services, which provides Tenant-Based Rental Assistance and Low Income Energy Assistance programs to assist qualifying households facing housing instability or utility instability. To find out if you are eligible, reach out to DHHS or call 828-250-6330.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural 504 grants, also known as Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants, provide loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes or grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards. You can see if you qualify financially here. The maximum loan is $40,000 and maximum grant is $10,000; read more here about what the program offers. Applications are open year-round.
- Call the Tennessee Rural Development State Office at 615-783-1300 or 800-342-3149, or one of the regional offices.
- Call the North Carolina Rural Development State Office at 919-873-2000 or one of the local offices here.
Organizations providing rental and utility assistance
North Carolina and Tennessee
- Mountain Ways: Offering assistance to individuals and families, both homeowners and renters, with a 100% total loss of primary residence. In Tennessee, the following counties are eligible: Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington; in Western North Carolina: Ashe, Avery, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Apply here. Email [email protected] or call 865-412-7798 if you need help with the application. The deadline is Dec. 31, 2024.
- State Line Resource Station and Mountain Mermaids: Grants for individuals and small businesses in western North Carolina, east Tennessee, and southwest Virginia who suffered significant damage to their homes, properties or small businesses. Available to renters and homeowners. Follow the application instructions carefully to be considered for grants from $100 to $3,000. The resource center is open Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Located at ZRC SKATE, 11878 Hwy 421 S, Trade, Tenn.
North Carolina only
- Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church: Providing direct rental assistance at 789 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, from noon to 4 p.m. every day.
- Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust: Provides rental assistance. Fill out this form or call 828-380-4229.
- The ARC of Buncombe County: Provides Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (basic info on TBRA) for households that care for children and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Find more information here.
- Eblen Charities: Provides rent, mortgage, utility, and other financial assistance online here or in person at 23 Hamilton St., Asheville. This is for households with children under the age of 18 and for households age 50+ at risk of homelessness. Renters must have a current lease agreement, and homeowners must have delinquent mortgages. If you apply for rental assistance, your landlord must fill out a landlord form before you can receive payment.
- Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM): Provides Tenant-Based Rental Assistance for income-qualified households facing utility shutoffs and evictions. Visit their crisis centers; locations and hours are here.
- Buncombe County Helene Recovery Housing Assistance Grant: Provides financial support for rent, mortgage, or utility payments for Buncombe County households. Eligible applicants can get help to cover up to three months of bills. Applications will open on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 8 a.m. and close on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. Read more here.
- WAMY Community Action: For those in Mitchell, Yancey, Watauga, and Avery counties, WAMY has a form you can fill out if you’re in need of financial assistance.
Tennessee only
- Realtors Relief Association: Offering direct financial support to residents in Johnson, Unicoi, Cocke, Hawkins, Washington, Greene, Grainger, Hamblen, and Carter counties. Download the application here; after filling it out and gathering required documents, email them to [email protected]. The deadline is January 31, 2025.
Housing repairs and temporary housing options
If your home or rental unit is uninhabitable or you cannot stay there for another reason, these organizations are providing assistance with finding a place to live.
North Carolina and Tennessee
- Samaritan’s Purse: In multiple North Carolina counties and in Johnson County, Tenn., the nonprofit Christian group is helping people rebuild manufactured homes, repairing and building new stick-built homes, and providing furniture assistance. Contact them at (828) 588-4663 or [email protected].
North Carolina only
- Asheville-Buncombe Community Land Trust: The nonprofit is offering assistance for families who need to find housing. Fill out this form, or call 828-380-4229.
- Thrive Asheville: To qualify for housing, you must have a child 15 years old or younger in the household, and either have a new Tenant Mobility Voucher (moving directly from public housing developments) or be currently renting with a TMV and experiencing housing insecurity. See if you qualify here.
- Yancey County Emergency Management Department: Offering designated areas available for campers to ensure everyone has a safe and warm place to stay, as well as support for sheltering. If you live in Yancey County, contact this local agency management agency at 828-284-0725.
- Housing Assistance Corporation: A nonprofit offering housing repair relief to those who may not qualify for other services in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania counties. To apply for assistance, call 828-692-4744 ext. 107, or visit their website.
Tennessee only
- Holston Habitat for Humanity: Accepting applications for home repairs for families in Washington, Carter, and Unicoi Counties. They can help replace and repair insulation, subfloors and flooring, HVAC units, electrical work, and drywall. Call 423-239-7689 ext. 806 to request an application by mail or you can print one here (eligibility requirements listed in the application.)
- Appalachia Service Project: Located in Johnson City, the organization provides services to low-income families through home repairs and, in select areas, offers home replacement services. Fill out this form to apply for services.
- Eastern Eight Development Corporation: Home repairs for those who qualify and live in one of the FEMA-declared disaster counties. Fill out an application here. If you have any questions, call 423-232-5097 or email [email protected].
- Unicoi County: Fill out this form from the county government if you’re interested in getting physical help with home repairs and live in Unicoi County.
- 100 Homes Project: Aims to replace or restore 100 homes in Carter County, Tenn. You must be a homeowner in Carter County, have a financial need, and meet other criteria. Priority is given to families with children or elderly residents, individuals with disabilities or special needs, single-parent households, and veterans. Contact them here.
- First Christian Church: Partnering with local government officials and non-profits to support disaster relief for Johnson County. If your home was damaged, call 423-727-8151 to be considered for repair services.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for homeowners
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is federally-funded program, managed by local government agencies, that aims to give homeowners options if their house is at-risk for flooding, by offering:
- Structural elevation: Raising buildings to protect them from flooding.
- Reinforcement: Strengthening buildings to withstand natural disasters, if your home can’t be elevated.
- Buyouts: FEMA purchases the property at its pre-storm appraisal level. The land will be deeded to the local county for parks, greenways, and other municipal projects.
North Carolina
The program is federally funded by FEMA, but managed in North Carolina by the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management. The city of Asheville recommends watching this video about HMGP to learn more. To apply, you must fill out this form and all people listed on the deed must sign it. The Buncombe County government reports that since late November, there have been 166 applications, including 101 buyouts and 40 structural elevations. Read more about how the program is playing out in western North Carolina via BPR.
Tennessee
HMGP is managed by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The agency is working with counties to apply. We will update with more information when it becomes available.
Evictions and rental damage
Keeping track of damage
Pisgah Legal Services, which provides free legal advice, pro bono lawyers, and community legal services for underserved populations in western North Carolina, has a guide to documenting damage of your rental unit and communicating with your landlord after a natural disaster. Read it here.
According to Pisgah Legal: “If you continue to lease… the landlord is required to make repairs so the home is safe, decent and sanitary. The landlord must do this within a reasonable time. However, the repairs are only legally required if the landlord is aware of the damage. Make sure you inform the landlord about needed repairs right away, and that you keep a record of the date and your conversation. It is best to make your repair requests in writing, which may include handwritten, email, text message, or social media message. A landlord’s duty to provide fit and habitable housing is not waived simply because the damage was caused by a natural disaster.
Understanding the eviction process
Landlords must use the court eviction process determined by each state (here is more information for North Carolina and Tennessee). If a landlord threatens to lock you out, denies you access to your rental, or cuts off your utilities, seek legal advice immediately. Below are some resources and organizations that can offer assistance and more information.
North Carolina
What you need to know about evictions and repairs, from Pisgah Legal Services
Tenants’ rights for evictions and repairs, from Legal Aid of North Carolina
Rights of tenants after a natural disaster, from the North Carolina Justice Center
Landlord and tenant issues after disasters, from the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center
Pisgah Legal Services: If you have questions or suspect a landlord may be taking illegal actions, email [email protected] or call 828-253-0406 to reach Pisgah Legal Services, which provides free legal advice, pro bono lawyers, and community legal services for underserved populations in western North Carolina.
Legal Aid of North Carolina: In addition to regular casework around domestic abuse, eviction, immigration/naturalization, federally subsidized housing, and criminal record expungement, the Legal Aid team has a disaster helpline at 1-866-219-5262. You can learn more about the resources they offer here.
Tennessee
Rights and responsibilities of renters, via Tennessee Department of Health
Renter’s rights, via Legal Aid of East Tennessee
Landlord and tenant common law, via Legal Aid of East Tennessee
Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services: This network of legal aid groups and lawyers is offering free legal advice after the hurricane. If you have been impacted by Hurricane Helene in any way and live in East Tennessee, call for guidance, referrals, and information: 1-844-435-7486. There is more information here about county-specific eviction prevention resources.
Legal Aid of East Tennessee: Offers free legal aid in 26 eastern counties for qualifying individuals for consumer, housing, family, public benefits, and other matters. They are focusing on eviction issues after the hurricane: If you are concerned about being unfairly evicted or have received an eviction notice, call 866-333-1505.
Choosing a contractor
You’ll likely need to find a local contractor to do any repairs, but it’s important to vet any and all offers to fix up your home. Here are some tips for avoiding scams from the NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors and Legal Aid of East Tennessee:
- Be wary of door-to-door repair solicitations or people who demand deposits or payments in cash. Contact your insurance company for guidance before beginning any work.
- Require a written contract that details the work to be done, materials to be used, a payment schedule that is based on completion of work and a timeline for work to be completed. A licensed general contractor is required to list their license number on all contracts.
- Do not make payments before the work specified on the payment schedule is completed.
- Request a Certificate of Insurance from the contractor and verify it is valid by contacting the party who issued it.
- Check with the Better Business Bureau for any history of unsatisfied complaints: 1-800-544-7693 or online.
- Verify the company’s permanent business address is in your local area and not from out of state.
- Check with your local Home Builders Association to verify credentials and membership.
- Contact the local building inspections and permitting office to determine if permits are required to assure building code compliance. If permits are required, confirm with the permit office that the contractor has acquired them before construction begins. In Tennessee, all jobs should be permitted and inspected, so check with your county.
- Before making final payment, evaluate the completed work and require the contractor to confirm that all subcontractors and suppliers have been paid to eliminate potential liens on your property.
- You can always verify whether the contractor is licensed to perform the specific work by visiting licensing board websites or calling the board offices:
- North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors: www.nclbgc.org 919-571-4183
- North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors: www.ncbeec.org 919-733-9042
- North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contactors: www.nclicensing.org / 919-875-3612
- Tennessee: Contact the Board for Licensing Contractors in the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance to view the repair service report of a particular contractor or to report any suspicious activity. You can contact them at 615-741-2241 or go here. This portal can help you verify that the contractor is licensed and certified by the state.
If you have knowledge of fraud, waste, or abuse, you can report tips to the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or email [email protected]. You can also contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud if you suspect fraud. Before calling, gather as many details as possible, including about how and where it occurred.
Report suspected fraud in Tennessee here.
Find more information here on price gouging complaints in North Carolina. If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, call North Carolina’s consumer hotline toll free within North Carolina at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or (919) 716-6000. You can also file a consumer complaint online.
We created a flyer for East Tennessee residents in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee. You can download and print it below.
