Mountain Housing Opportunities – Shelter from the storm Hurricane Helene Grantee Spotlight
In the weeks following Hurricane Helene, Dogwood invested more than $70 million in relief and recovery grants to strategic partners across Western North Carolina. As the region marks six months since the storm, Dogwood is proud to highlight the work of partner Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO), a regional nonprofit leader developing and preserving safe, stable, affordable housing in Buncombe County and beyond.
MHO serves more than 2,000 households annually in Western North Carolina with apartment rentals, essential home repair, down payment assistance, and new home construction. Just days after the storm, MHO received a $925,200 Emergency and Disaster Grant from Dogwood. The grant was part of a multi-organization request totaling $2 million for five organizations that provide affordable rental housing to thousands of households throughout Buncombe County. MHO funds supported tenants experiencing housing instability from Hurricane Helene through direct financial assistance for rent and essential needs.
Norma, an MHO tenant, said the timing made a huge difference for her situation. “There aren’t enough words to express my heartfelt gratitude for the amazing kindness you all have extended to me in forgiving me of January’s rent! I have never experienced such generosity in my life, and times like this, I call it kindness from heaven,” she said. MHO was also able to self-impose a 90- day eviction moratorium due to nonpayment of rent for all properties following the storm.
Joining forces with four other area nonprofits, including the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, Community Action Opportunities, Poder Emma, and the Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust, MHO helped to form the Asheville Regional Coalition for Home Repair, or ARCHR. ARCHR focuses on addressing the disaster home repair needs of low-income WNC homeowners impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Hurricane Helene exacerbated the already urgent need for home repairs. Even before the storm, an estimated 6,000 homes owned by low-income Buncombe and Madison households already needed repair.
Recovery in WNC will take years. ARCHR organizations hope to serve an estimated 110 low- income households with disaster home repairs over the next two years. So far, MHO and ARCHR organizations have completed more than 300 home inspections, with applications rolling in daily.
MHO continues to work through existing funds and programs to provide repairs to those affected by Hurricane Helene. One such fund, the Hurricane Helene Housing Recovery Fund will continue to support resident emergency assistance, rental assistance, essential home repair, and long-term housing recovery.