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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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.” -
More than 150 households were waiting on the extension, which came two weeks before the program was slated to end. -
The leaders of both HUD-funded housing repair programs in western North Carolina told BPR there is not enough money to serve all applicants. -
It is still unclear whether Markwayne Mullin will continue Kristi Noem’s policies. He still needs to be confirmed by the Senate before taking over DHS.
