Gerard Albert III
Western North Carolina Rural Communities ReporterEmail: galbert@bpr.org
Phone: 865-332-9439
Gerard Albert III covers ongoing recovery efforts of Hurricane Helene at the local, state and federal level. He is working with the FRONTLINE PBS Local Journalism Initiative on a year-long reporting project about storm recovery.
If you are using a state program to repair or rebuild your home or waiting on a buyout from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Program, he'd like to hear your experience. Please fill out this form or contact Albert directly.
He came to BPR two months before the storm as a Report for America corps member covering rural communities throughout western North Carolina.
Prior to BPR, Albert worked at WLRN – South Florida’s NPR station – for two years. He reported on affordable housing policy, local government accountability and the death penalty trial of the Parkland school shooter. He also covered the history of the Black community and criminal justice system in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
He earned a journalism degree from Florida International University, where he served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.
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A group of 10 housing advocates say the city shouldn’t give Renew NC more money for housing — and that Asheville should rely on bond funding and nonprofit efforts to repair homes damaged by Hurricane Helene. -
The reallocation would take months but could fund the repair of more than 50 homes that belong to some of the city’s most vulnerable homeowners. -
BPR recently published an investigation showing the city of Asheville set aside just $3M for Helene home repair, mistakenly believing the state would cover the majority of the cost. Readers had questions. We sat down with our reporters to learn more. -
The money is part of a massive backlog of funds that were held up by a policy implemented by former-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. -
Asheville set aside just $3 million for Helene home repair, mistakenly believing the state would help cover construction. This leaves hundreds of homeowners waiting for answers. -
The state is putting $800 million towards home repair, but due to a city policy decision, Asheville has to pay its own way. -
The announcement comes a day before newly-confirmed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is scheduled to visit the area. -
The program already lacks enough funding to help all eligible applicants. Money for temporary housing is causing further delays. -
If the request is fully funded, state lawmakers will have spent more than $3 billion on storm recovery.
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Newly-confirmed DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin told senators the policy was “micromanaging.”
