Home Repair Funds Available for Hurricane Matthew Damage, Application Center Scheduling Appointments

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina, Dec. 4 -- Cumberland County issued the following news release:

Cumberland County and City of Fayetteville residents who sustained damage to their homes during Hurricane Matthew may be eligible for additional financial help through Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds.

This assistance is made possible by North Carolina's approximately $237 million in CDBG-DR funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Funds will assist residents with housing repairs, homeowner reimbursement and other housing-related needs. See the attached "Available Programs" document for a detailed listing of assistance programs available. For more information, visit rebuild.nc.gov/apply.

How to Apply for Help

To begin the application process, residents must schedule an appointment with an application specialist by calling 910-550-1155 during normal business hours. The Cumberland County Application Center is located at the Department of Social Services building, 1225 Ramsey St. The application center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but will be closed Dec. 25 - 27 and Jan. 1 and 15.

Application specialists will meet with applicants in person and guide them through the full application process. Applicants can expect to spend two hours completing their application during their appointment.

What to Bring to the Appointment

Applicants will need to bring a as many of the following items as they can:

Photo ID

Proof of residency and proof of residency during Hurricane Matthew

Photos of damage

Tax return or last three pay stubs

Proof of ownership

Insurance payments

Copies of other assistance received

Proof of current mortgage payments.

A checklist of all these items is attached.

How Applications Are Reviewed

The application process is the first step in applying for housing-recovery assistance. Once all the required information and documents are provided, each person's file will be reviewed for eligibility.

At each step of the process, applicants will have an opportunity to learn the status of their application. Timing of results will depend on several factors, including how soon people submit an application and how much of the required information they are able to provide.