The Renew NC Program will manage and complete construction on behalf of eligible and awarded homeowners. Homeowners may not select their contractors and will not contract directly with their selected builders. Additionally, the Renew NC program will reimburse homeowners for repairs made to their homes, provided certain conditions are met. Renew NC will offer repairs, stick-built reconstruction, manufactured home replacement and reimbursement.

Unfortunately, this program cannot support the purchase of a new home or subsidize rent payments, but you can visit the resource directory where you may find additional resources.

This program provides grant funding. However, eligible homeowners who are awarded are expected to remain in the house for 3 years, and as part of the grant agreement will sign a 3-year unsecured, forgivable promissory note. If the house is sold or used as collateral prior to the 3-year anniversary, a prorated amount may be due back to the state.

Grant payments will be provided directly to the contractor repairing or rebuilding the property.

Your property taxes may increase; however, your electricity and energy bills may decrease due to the use of energy efficient construction materials.

If you have a mortgage on your home, the lien will be transferred to the new property. We will work to coordinate and ensure the rehabilitation or reconstruction is approved by your lender.

Yes, translation and interpretation services will be provided as needed or requested. We have program staff at each of our recovery intake centers that are fluent in Spanish, and translators for additional languages can also be made available to applicants with limited English proficiency upon request.

You can reach our customer service team at 888-791-0207, and you will be assisted by program staff. Additionally, you can visit our website: www.Renew NC.org.

There is no program application fee or participation fee, and the homeowner is not required to pay anything to participate. However, the homeowner may be responsible for covering some of their own costs depending on their unique situation. If the repair or reconstruction activity requires a temporary relocation, the homeowner is responsible for making living arrangements during construction and moving and storing all possessions.

A mobile storage unit will be provided as part of repair or reconstruction activities requiring removal of household contents. If a homeowner needs to relocate temporarily, homeowners are expected to secure temporary living arrangements while construction is underway at their property. For example, homeowners may stay with friends and family while construction is underway or may elect to find a short-term rental if they desire but would be responsible for the cost. In addition, following completion of construction, program participants are responsible for paying the increase in property taxes and obtaining all necessary insurance after the home is complete. One year of flood insurance will be paid by the program if your home is located within the floodplain. In some cases, where a duplication of benefits funding gap exists, a homeowner may be requested to fulfill the gap in funding as well to satisfy the deficiency – this means the homeowner could need to come up with the money to move forward.

The application process requires the collection and verification of several documents. This process can take several rounds of communication between case managers and homeowners. You may always check the status of your application by calling your case manager.

Once the application has been approved, we must coordinate efforts between the state, the contractor, the homeowner and any other necessary parties. Sometimes this coordination of effort can seem slow, but please understand that we will do our best to provide honest and reliable communication throughout the process. You are always welcome to reach out to your assigned case manager should you have any concerns.

Though we strive to deliver homes on time, construction can be delayed by factors outside of our control, such as weather. If your home is not expected to meet the established timeline for any reason, your case manager will be in regular contact with you and the builder.

Renew NC customer service center staff can connect you with a case manager, and if you have already been assigned a case manager, the call center staff can look up the information and connect you. If you don’t remember the name or phone number of your case manager, you can always call the Renew NC customer service center toll free number at 888-791-0207. You will be assisted by one of our available case managers.

The eligible counties for the Renew NC program were determined by HUD prior to the launch of the Hurricane Helene program based on the severity and amount of damage received from Hurricane Helene. The Hurricane Helene impacted counties areas for this program are: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg (zip code 28214), Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.

Unfortunately, you are not eligible for this program, but you can visit the resource directory to find additional resources.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides guidance on household income limits that are unique to household size and geographic area. In short, household income is calculated by adding the combined income of all adult residents that reside in the household. We encourage you to visit the HUD website to review the income limit information based on your household size and county or reach out to the program for more information.

Applicants in this situation are encouraged to apply. Because of the complexity of the situation, each case must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Income is calculated based on combined household income. If anyone in your home (18 and over) earns income, we must collect documentation. We must also collect documentation for unearned income (from all household members). If a homeowner has no income but receives cash on a regular basis from a friend or family member, this may be considered as income and should be documented.

Each application will be reviewed to determine if previous assistance awarded to the applicant was used as intended, and if any funds were received for the same purpose. Your application must demonstrate that a “duplication of benefits” would not occur based on the assistance you are qualified to receive, and this is determined on a case-by-case basis. Our case managers will help you in reviewing your unique situation, and if there is a gap in funding created by a duplication of benefits from a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant or other federal or private source that was not used for repairs, there is still a possibility of eligibility if the gap in funding is able to be fulfilled through other means, such as a homeowner providing their own funding, or a potential reduction in the scope of work.

Being a recipient of public assistance does not weaken your opportunity of receiving assistance. If you are a recipient of temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), your monthly benefit will be calculated as income.

If you are currently employed, you may submit your last three months of pay stubs or a signed statement from your employer. For a list of all acceptable documents of income, please review the Renew NC Program application document checklist.

Applications should be made based on current, verifiable information. Please make your Renew NC case manager aware of any changes from what you reported on your application.

The home you are requesting assistance with must have been your principal residence at the time that Hurricane Helene made landfall (September 27, 2024). By signing a program grant agreement, you agree that the assisted residence will be your primary residence for at least the next three (3) years. Vacation and second homes are ineligible.

If you are in a flood hazard area you will be required to maintain flood insurance coverage in perpetuity. The program will pay for the first-year of flood insurance coverage. While homeowners insurance for individuals not located in a flood hazard area is not a requirement, not securing insurance may impact your ability to be served in future CDBG-DR programs.

Mobile homes may be eligible for rehabilitation, replacement, or stick-built reconstructions in instances where the applicant also owns the land the mobile home sits on. Mobile homes will only be eligible for repairs if the estimated cost to repair is under $25,000, and the unit is less than 5 years old. Replacement mobile homes or stick built reconstructions provided will meet applicable building standards and local zoning and code requirements.

The contact information for your assigned case manager should be included on the letter. Your case manager will be able to provide you with the most detail about the determination of ineligibility.

Homeowners are expected to secure temporary living arrangements while construction is underway at their property, if the scope of work requires temporary relocation. For example, homeowners may stay with friends and family while construction is underway or may elect to find a short-term rental if they desire but would be responsible for the cost.

The program will provide applicants who qualify for a reconstruction award with standard program floorplan homes. The program offers 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom homes; all standard floorplans include 2 bathrooms. The floorplan and number of bedrooms received is based on the number of bedrooms present at the existing damaged property.

Yes! During the application and eligibility process we will work with all homeowners with unique circumstances to understand special needs such as disabilities or mobility or sensory impairments.

The program for Hurricane Helene will not require a 20-year lien; however, the program does require a 3-year commitment from you to remain in the home as your primary residence.

Renew NC can accept your information in the way that works best for you, such as physical copies or electronic copies.

If you have mobility issues that prevent you from utilizing the methods previously mentioned, please notify your case manager and we can coordinate appropriately.

You may mail or email your information to the appropriate point of contact or intake center of your choosing.

The program adheres to all federally/locally required safeguard protocols with electronic information technology systems and data management, and program staff is thoroughly trained in the handling of private data. Your privacy is of utmost importance.