Asheville -- July 29, 2026: Moving to accelerate long-term restoration efforts following Tropical Storm Helene, the Asheville City Council greenlit millions in federal disaster recovery funding and established key housing protections during its Tuesday session. The measures target critical relief for low-income homeowners while laying the preliminary groundwork to restore damaged public land along the French Broad River.
The approved package expands the city’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery agreement with the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The unanimous vote elevates total funding for the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program to $22.2 million, directly aiding residents struggling to repair or reconstruct storm-damaged properties.
"This resolution formalizes the agreement with the state, allowing these federal disaster recovery dollars to move forward and help more Asheville residents recover and rebuild," said Bridget Herring, Director of Recovery and Resilience.
In tandem with the housing funds, Council adopted a targeted resolution designed to prevent residential displacement. As recovery investments roll out alongside broader municipal growth, the policy aims to keep long-term residents housed and shield vulnerable neighborhoods from post-disaster market pressures.
Council also authorized demolition contracts for wrecked infrastructure throughout the French Broad River parks system. City officials noted that actual site clearance will depend on securing necessary environmental and municipal permits—a process expected to take several months before physical redevelopment of the riverfront can begin.