At last night’s Buncombe County Commission meeting, leaders continued to chip away at the massive challenges created by Hurricane Helene.
Evictions continue in Buncombe County as the effects of Hurricane Helene spiked unemployment, leaving thousands without their regular income. In November, around 160 evictions were filed at the courthouse, according to court records. That’s an increase from the 2022 average of 133 per month.
Commissioners voted to accept $200,000 from the state for rental assistance. That roughly translates to supporting around 112 Buncombe households through a one-time payment, according to David Sweat, the county’s Health and Human Services Director.
“Clearly, we have more need than that,” Commissioner Terri Wells said before voting to accept the funding. “We appreciate what they're sending. But has there been any sense, any communication that this is just the first bit and that there will be more to come?”
Budget Director John Hudson replied that it’s “unclear.”
The county and city, along with a fleet of nonprofits, continue to keep renters afloat through public and private allocations.
Since Helene hit in late September, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church has written more $2 million worth of rent relief checks, using a mix of both private and public. The city of Asheville and Buncombe County have both allocated millions of dollars and have been distributing money through a mix of nonprofit partnerships and public programs.
The state has made one allocation towards rental assistance since the storm hit, and the most recent so-called relief bill passed this month includes no rental assistance.
In a storm recovery report, County Manager Avril Pinder said the community “has not yet seen the full extent of economic impact from Hurricane Helene.”
Mountain BizWorks’ business recovery fund, which has received funding from both the city and county, received 843 applications from businesses totaling more than $20 million in funding requests. The grant program currently has $3 million to distribute, according to its website.
Pinder also gave an update on housing: more than 9,000 residential units suffered damage in the storm – with around 330 completely destroyed and more than 600 with major damage.
There are 1,403 households who are using FEMA’s hotel program that provides vouchers for displaced families to stay at hotels through Jan. 11. And of the 147 families who have been approved to receive a temporary housing unit from FEMA, 16 of those units have been installed.
The county checked on community members who are sleeping in tents, Pinder said. County representatives canvassed in Swannanoa, Garren Creek, Fairview and Barnardsville.
“Most of the tents in the affected areas were either heated cold weather tents or not primary residences,” Pinder said. “Cold weather canvas tents are equipped with appropriate heating sources – cooking areas, fires and carbon monoxide detectors among other features. There were also a few individuals inside their tents or cars who had previously been doing so before the storm and they declined any assistance.”
The report also gave an update on the county’s ongoing efforts to remove storm debris. So far the county has cleaned up half a million cubic yards of debris — around nine and a half million cubic yards remain. See the full report.
Other tidbits
- Lacy Hoyle, the county’s Homelessness Program Manager, gave an update on the work the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care is doing to address homelessness. The emergency shelter set up at the Gold’s Gym in South Asheville will close on Dec. 31. Hoyle said the county’s Social Services department has “been working very hard” to figure out solutions for the 22 individuals remaining at the shelter. The Continuum of Care also has a work group figuring out next steps for when the shelter closes, but “nothing really has been decided at this point,” Hoyle said.
- Commissioners heard an update on the county’s school consolidation study from Buncombe County Strategic Partnerships Director Rachael Sawyer. Sawyer said the feasibility study was not impacted by Hurricane Helene and that the county can expect to see results from the study by Dec. 31.
- Commissioners voted to reallocate $656,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding from various community projects to storm-related personnel needs.
Every first and third Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets at 200 College St., Room 326, in downtown Asheville beginning at 5 p.m. Due to the holidays, commissioners won’t meet again until Jan. 7. See the full recording and agenda of the Dec. 17 meeting.
