Author: Sean C. Rowe
RALEIGH – An applicant of the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program moved into her newly constructed home just before a winter storm swept across western North Carolina in late January. After the snow and icy roads cleared, North Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley visited the applicant and her family to welcome them home.
On Feb. 20, Lilley was joined by a small group — including North Carolina Sen. Warren Daniel, his wife, and general contractor Stonewater, Inc. — to celebrate the occasion.
“The first thank you goes to you and your family for all that you’ve been through, and for the time you’ve spent working with our team,” Secretary Lilley said. “We know this is not necessarily the easiest process, but it’s a necessary one. At the end of the day, the best thing we get to do is come see your home.”
The newly built three-bedroom, two-bathroom house sits along a gravel road overlooking the surrounding valley. It is home to a family of five — including the homeowner, her mother, and three grandchildren — and features an ADA-compliant ramp from the parking pad to the front door, a rear two-story staircase, and a stem-wall foundation ranging from five feet at the front to more than 20 feet at the rear.
General contractor Stonewater, Inc., began demolition in late November and completed construction in late January, despite weather-related delays.
“This home in Marion, N.C., was more than just another project,” said Stonewater COO Jason Stewart. “It was a reminder of why we do what we do.”
Among those attending the celebration was Jay Suttles of McDowell County Government Building Inspections, whom Stewart credited as instrumental in completing the Marion resident’s home.
The homeowner shared her heartfelt thanks to Secretary Lilley, the Renew NC team, and her church, Grace Community Church, for supporting her family throughout the rebuilding process.
“God is good,” she said.
The Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program is a centralized housing rehabilitation, reconstruction, or replacement program that prioritizes low-to-moderate-income families with seniors aged 62 or older, children, and/or disabled household members impacted by Hurricane Helene. The program serves residents in the following 29 counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg (28214), Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
Renew NC, North Carolina’s long-term disaster recovery effort, is administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce Division of Community Revitalization and funded through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery grant.