Asheville homeowner returns home after RenewNC storm repairs
Velma Chapman got back into her repaired Asheville home as Renew NC marked another step in Helene recovery. State leaders say many Buncombe homeowners are still waiting.
Velma Chapman came home to a fully repaired Asheville house after Hurricane Helene damage was fixed through Renew NC’s Single-Family Housing Recovery Program, and Gov. Josh Stein publicly welcomed her back. Her return gave Buncombe County a visible sign of progress in a housing recovery effort that is still far from finished across Western North Carolina.
Stein highlighted Chapman in a state announcement dated July 15, 2026, identifying her as an Asheville homeowner whose repairs were completed through Renew NC. The program was created to help North Carolina homeowners repair, rebuild or replace homes damaged by Helene, which tore through the region and left thousands of families dealing with long repair timelines, insurance gaps and temporary housing.
Renew NC’s housing recovery program was announced June 16, 2025. State officials then said the first home repairs under the Single-Family Housing Recovery Program were completed on Aug. 27, 2025, making Chapman’s return part of a longer rollout that has moved from launch to real homes being finished. Her completed repair stands out because many other applications remain in process, and some homeowners are still waiting on approvals or stuck in the queue.
North Carolina has continued to extend and emphasize deadlines for Renew NC housing recovery assistance, a sign that the rebuilding work is still ongoing nearly a year after the storm. State officials have used individual homeowner stories like Chapman’s to show both the pace of the program and the distance left to go for families still trying to get back into damaged homes.
For Asheville and the wider Buncombe County recovery, Chapman’s move back home is more than a symbolic milestone. It shows that the state’s largest housing repair effort is reaching some households, even as others continue navigating paperwork, eligibility reviews and the uncertainty that has shadowed post-Helene recovery across western North Carolina.
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