The economic fallout from Hurricane Helene topped the agenda at the Asheville City Council meeting last night. More than a dozen community members showed up to advocate for rent and mortgage relief, continuing the ongoing call for an eviction moratorium in Asheville and Buncombe County.
The city agrees with housing advocates about the need for an eviction moratorium, City Attorney Brad Branham said. While the city does not have the authority to pass a moratorium, it is advocating for the state government to enact one, he said.
“That is one of a litany of things that we have been asking the state for – to keep them aware of that request,” he said. “That may be about as much as we can do, given the limits on our local power. But we're going to continue to push that narrative.”
The city does, however, have the ability to offer rent relief for residents through grant programs. So far, the city has allocated $500,000 for rent relief. The city allocated the funds to local nonprofit Eblen Charities to distribute to applicants. The city has also allocated another $500,000 for rent relief that has not yet been distributed.
Some city council members, including Kim Roney, expressed concerns about whether the initial $500,000 for rent relief would be enough to match the growing need for housing aid. She encouraged the city to distribute the other $500,000 now so it could more quickly reach renters in need.
“We know that there are backlogs and clogs in getting the funding from groups like ours into the hands of renters so that they don't have eviction notices,” Roney said. “And that ripples into our economy in a lot of ways. FEMA will pay to relocate you but they won't pay to stay. And so, I'm really worried about how we have that economic recovery.”
Mayor Esther Manheimer and Council Members Sage Turner and Kim Roney raised concerns that administrative delays and possible bottlenecks at Eblen Charities would slow down the distribution of money to renters with time-sensitive situations.
Turner said Eblen Charities was facing a “30-day turnaround time” and that “there’s little criteria everywhere” that can serve as roadblocks to people getting the help they need.
“We're kind of anxious about getting these resources deployed and getting them to the people that need it the most. Rent is due now,” Manheimer added. “And if it gets in hand in January, and someone gets evicted, then then we were too late, you know?”
At a Wednesday briefing, City Manager Debra Campbell could not confirm whether or not Eblen Charities is running on a delayed turnaround. She also could not confirm what reporting process the city is using for therent relief program.
BPR reached out to Eblen Charities and the city several times about the turnaround time and its staffing qualifications, but heard no response by the time of publication.
During public comment, Jen Hampton, one of Asheville Food and Beverage United lead organizers, encouraged the city to distribute as much housing aid, as fast as possible.
“It can't wait until December or January. People will be evicted. They're being evicted now,” she said. “Without immediate intervention, hundreds will face homelessness.”
City faces $1.8 billion in damage
The city is also dealing with financial issues of its own. Assistant City Manager Rachel Wood shared that the city has estimated that Hurricane Helene caused $1.86 billion in damage.
The city has enough money in its fund balance to pay for current recovery efforts and will seek reimbursement from FEMA and other state and federal agencies to pay itself back, Manheimer said.
“We are going to try to recover as much of those losses as possible through all of the avenues that exist,” she said.
While the costs of recovery in Asheville grow, the city’s annual budget is shrinking. The city faces a projected budget shortfall of around $17 million dollars already, according to Manheimer.
The mayor described her efforts to obtain more money from the federal government. She will go with part of a delegation to Washington, D.C. next week to advocate for more federal recovery money.
Manheimer is serving on the transition team of Governor-elect Josh Stein, a position she said she will use to continue to advocate for more state relief funds.
The city is also seeking outside assistance to deal with the reimbursement process and other aspects of storm recovery. Council members approved a contract with Hagerty Consulting Inc. for up to $1 million.
Other tidbits
- City staff pitched a potential reimbursement policy to help small business owners recover some of the money spent on potable water during the city’s ongoing water crisis. It’s not on the agenda yet, but could be soon, Wood said.
- As part of its recovery process, Asheville City Council will hold several recovery briefings through the end of the year on the following dates:
- A special virtual recovery update briefing on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
- An in-person organizational meeting on Monday, December 2, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the Council Chamber, located on the 2nd Floor of City Hall.
- A special in-person work session on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, located on the 2nd Floor of City Hall.
Every second and fourth Tuesday, Asheville City Council meets at the Council Chamber on the 2nd Floor of City Hall, 70 Court Plaza beginning at 5:00 p.m. City Council will not meet again until Dec. 5. See the full recording of the Nov. 12 meeting and the agenda.
