A Leicester Homeowner Gets His Keys, and Two Recovery Deadlines Loom
Governor Josh Stein handed over a rebuilt home to Dennis Fultz, who lost his house to Helene, and flagged open applications for rental and workforce-housing money.
For Dennis Fultz of Leicester, the second anniversary of Hurricane Helene brought something concrete: a new house. Governor Josh Stein presented him with the keys, the governor's office announced on September 25. Fultz had lost the home he had lived in for 10 years to the storm, and the replacement was built through Renew NC's Single-Family Housing Program, run by the Department of Commerce's Division of Community Revitalization.
Stein said getting families back into safe, affordable housing is essential to long-term recovery, and that Renew NC and volunteer partners have repaired or rebuilt 1,250 homes. Stephanie McGarrah, the division's deputy secretary, said she is seeing month-to-month growth as more homeowners move through review and into pre-construction.
Where the Single-Family Program Stands
The governor's office reports more than 150 homes completed, 167 under construction and more than 600 in pre-construction.
Programs Still Open
- Multi-Family Construction and Repair Program: launched in August with $70 million in federal funding for affordable rental housing, with applications accepted through November 2. In August the state announced ten large multi-family projects that would develop 828 rental units in the region.
- Workforce Housing for Ownership Program: more than $53 million for workforce homeownership in 16 of the hardest-hit counties; applications close December 13, 2026.
- Community infrastructure: an initial $55 million funding opportunity for local governments closed September 8.
Money and Next Steps
Stein's newly signed budget appropriates more than $700 million for Helene recovery, the third recovery package since he took office, and he is asking Congress for $10 billion, including $3 billion from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to rebuild damaged and destroyed homes. The governor's office also says more than 99 percent of closed or affected roads have reopened and that $105 million in grants and loans have reached nearly 3,000 small businesses.
Source: Office of Governor Josh Stein, September 25, 2026.
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