June 10, 2019 – Back @ Home North Carolina, a program that connects disaster survivors with services and rental assistance to prevent homelessness, has generated national interest after helping 270 families find and sustain permanent housing after Hurricane Florence.
Based on the success of the Back @ Home rapid rehousing model, federal organizations have created a committee to determine how to incorporate a similar program into national disaster response plans. Leaders of the North Carolina program met April 29-30 in Washington, D.C., with representatives of the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to discuss the program as a best practice of the state’s response to Hurricane Florence in 2018.
Governor Roy Cooper launched Back @ Home after Hurricane Florence to assist displaced storm survivors who didn’t qualify for FEMA Individual Assistance and were at risk of becoming homeless. The cost-effective model is based on precedent set by Houston, Texas, and was created to help the most vulnerable disaster survivors find a clear path to safe, stable housing and long-term self-sufficiency. To date, the program has housed 589 people across the disaster-impacted counties.
Back @ Home North Carolina is administered by DHHS in partnership with the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness, NC Housing Finance Agency, Department of Public Safety and the NC Emergency Management, as well as rehousing agencies First Fruit Ministries, Southeast Family Violence Center, Trillium Health Resources and Volunteers of America Carolinas.
For more information on Back @ Home North Carolina, go to www.backathome.org or call NC 2-1-1 to find out if you or someone you know is eligible for Back @ Home services.