FEMA Extends Helene Temporary Housing Aid Six Months for Buncombe Families

Roughly 18 months after Tropical Storm Helene destroyed 340 homes in Buncombe County and left thousands more uninhabitable, FEMA approved a six-month extension of direct temporary housing and rental assistance for North Carolina survivors, offering displaced families more time before facing the prospect of losing their federally supported shelter.

The extension, announced in a March 16 FEMA news release, applies to survivors still receiving direct temporary housing and rental assistance in North Carolina. Since the storm struck in late September 2024, FEMA has provided 243 families with mobile homes, travel trailers, or other similar units. Statewide, nearly 1,000 homes were destroyed. In Buncombe County alone, 640 homes sustained major damages and another 8,920 required habitability repairs, according to previous Citizen-Times reporting.

A local nonprofit leader identified as Trigg said the six-month extension, while welcome, fell short of what the region needs. She had hoped for a full year, arguing that permanent housing solutions are slow to materialize and that more time is needed for construction to catch up with demand. She noted the area was already in a housing crisis before Helene compounded the problem.

"It's really great that they don't have to be out at the end of March because losing housing when you don't have a permanent housing solution is just going to increase the number of unhoused families and people who are back in the cycle of displacement," Trigg said.

Buncombe County officials report that FEMA has approved $324 million in disaster relief to more than 146,000 households and individuals since the storm, including grants to help cover rent. Families who have already filed Individual Assistance applications can inquire about rental assistance eligibility. FEMA is reaching out to Transitional Sheltering Assistance participants by phone and email, but those who have not heard directly should check their accounts at disasterassistance.gov or speak with their hotel's front desk. The deadline to apply is April 7; those without an existing application can reach FEMA at 800-621-3362.

As federal Disaster Recovery Centers wind down their presence in the county, Buncombe County is opening a new Helene Resource Center at 94 Coxe Avenue in Asheville on April 14. The center will handle FEMA applications, Disaster Case Management, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program assistance, and private roads and bridges support, operating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free parking available across the street. In the meantime, the Weaverville Town Hall Disaster Recovery Center remains open through April 4, and the Fairview Library location stays open through April 11.

The Owen Pool Community Care Station will continue operating until April 30, providing support that county officials say has served residents for the past seven months.

For families still navigating the gap between temporary shelter and a permanent home, the six-month window buys time. Whether it is enough depends on how quickly Buncombe County can add housing stock in a market that, according to Trigg, was strained long before the storm arrived.