Was your home damaged by Hurricane Matthew? Here’s some help for you

Photo: Neuse News

Beginning Thursday, Lenoir County residents whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Matthew’s effects in 2016 can start applying for help.

A new Hurricane Matthew Recovery Application Center opens at 9 a.m., Thursday, at the Pride of Kinston building, 327 N. Queen St. The center is set up to help people apply for financial help to repair or rebuild their homes. The center will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays.

The help with housing repairs, homeowner reimbursement and other housing-related issues is made possible by North Carolina’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, which is funded by the federal government through U.S. Housing and Urban Development.

“While hundreds of North Carolinians have gotten help recovering from Hurricane Matthew, we believe there are others who have yet to apply for help,” Governor Roy Cooper stated in a press release. “I urge survivors with homes damaged by Matthew to reach out for help today by calling 211. Even if you’ve already repaired your home, you may be able to get money back.”

Applying for help begins by calling 211 to set up an appointment at the application center. At the appointment, housing recovery specialists will guide disaster survivors through completing the full application.

Officials estimate it will take applicants two hours to complete their applications during the appointment.

People who have already applied for the CDBG-DR program do not need to reapply, although they may check on the status of their application by calling 2-1-1. People who have been accepted into the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) do not need to reapply.