Assistance available to fund repair or replacement of Helene-damaged homes

Clinch-Powell RC&D has been designated as a packager for two new USDA programs to help East Tennesseans whose homes were affected by storm damage from Tropical Storm Helene USDA Rural Development's Single Family Housing Disaster Assistance Fund (DAF) Home Repair Grant Program and 502 Home Replacement Program are intended to help those whose homes were damaged, severely damaged or destroyed. Clinch-Powell will facilitate application for these grants or loans in 14 East Tennessee counties, including: Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington. To apply for home repair or home replacement funding, call Hollie Sartin at Clinch-Powell's Newport office, at 423) (720-1956 or email hollie@clinchpowell.net. Home Repair To be eligible for the Single Family Housing DAF Home Repair Grants, applicants must meet the following requirements: are 18 years old or older;own and occupy the home, and are able to provide a document of ownership;have income that does not exceed the applicable low-income limit based on household size and county; andproperty is located within a Rural Development Single Family Housing rural area (see https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/ for designated areas); andthe property must have sustained damage as a result of the Presidentially-declared disaster, Tropical Storm Helene in Tennessee, Sept. 26, 2024. The maximum grant assistance available for the Home Repair Grant is $44,000. The funds may be used for disaster-related home repair expenses incurred prior to application, as long as the needed repair was caused directly or indirectly by Helene. Materials costs may be paid to the contractor upon receipt of a paid invoice, or directly to the supplier prior to site delivery. Site preparation, and the cost of moving a manufactured home, may also be funded by the grant. Because homeowners may have been forced into temporary housing, applicants are not required to occupy the property they own until replacement housing is installed. Repair costs that have been paid for out of pocket may be reimbursed with proof of costs, such as necessary receipts. Grant funds may not be awarded if other sources, such as insurance or FEMA, have provided funding for the same need resulting from the disaster. Home Replacement Those whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed by Helene, leaving them either entirely without housing or with uninhabitable housing in one of the 14 counties listed, may be eligible for home replacement grant funding. To be eligible, applicants' income must not exceed the low-income limit based on household size and county, and they must seek housing within one of the 14 disaster counties. Washington County includes ineligible areas and it is recommended applicants check https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/ for designated rural areas. Applicants may purchase homes that are existing, new or build a new construction home. Up to 100 percent financing is available, with 33-to 38-year terms also available. Payment assistance is available to eligible applicants that may reduce mortgage payments to as low as a one-percent interest rate. If an applicant has received funds for replacement housing from another source, such as insurance or FEMA, those funds may be required to be used towards the purchase of a DAF replacement home.