August 5, 2025

South Carolina Allocates $150 Million for Hurricane Helene Recovery

News Summary

The South Carolina Office of Resilience is set to provide over $150 million in federal funding for long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. This funding, approved by HUD, aims to assist low-to-moderate income homeowners and include various housing activities. The total disaster recovery needs in South Carolina are approximately $2.1 billion. The application process is expected to open by the end of September for eligible residents from 15 counties and will also include mitigation efforts to reduce future disaster impacts.

Columbia, South Carolina – The South Carolina Office of Resilience is set to allocate more than $150 million in federal funding for long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, following recent approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This funding comes from the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, which was initially allocated in January 2025.

The HUD approval of the South Carolina Office of Resilience’s Hurricane Helene Action Plan is a critical step in providing much-needed disaster recovery assistance to residents affected by the hurricane. The total estimated unmet needs resulting from Hurricane Helene in South Carolina are approximately $2.1 billion, encompassing housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization requirements.

According to the approved action plan, the CDBG-DR funding will cover various eligible housing activities, including:

Rehabilitation, replacement, and reconstruction of single-family homes
Rehabilitation of rental housing
Voluntary buyouts for homeowners significantly impacted by the disaster

This funding is specifically designed for low-to-moderate income homeowners and rental property owners whose lives have been adversely affected by Hurricane Helene. For eligibility, low-to-moderate income is defined as earning 30% or less of the area median income.

The application process for the housing recovery program is expected to open by the end of September 2025, allowing residents from 15 eligible counties, including Aiken, Anderson, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Spartanburg, Abbeville, Cherokee, Edgefield, McCormick, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Saluda, and Union, to apply for funding.

In addition to housing recovery efforts, approximately $19.6 million of the CDBG-DR funds will be allocated toward mitigation projects aimed at boosting resilience and mitigating the impact of future disasters. Eligible mitigation activities will comprise stormwater infrastructure improvements, voluntary buyouts, planning studies, and matching funds for other federal mitigation grants.

Local governments and state agencies in counties such as Greenville, Laurens, Spartanburg, Anderson, Aiken, and Greenwood will be able to apply for funding through the mitigation program. Applications for this program are anticipated to open in the fall of 2025.

The South Carolina Office of Resilience is actively working to facilitate the application process by organizing meetings with local governments in eligible counties before the application openings. In addition, the Office is in the process of finalizing the selection of an implementation contractor for the housing recovery program, which is expected to significantly enhance the recovery efforts.

As part of ongoing assistance for survivors, the Disaster Case Management team is conducting mobile intake events to help connect affected residents with essential recovery resources.

Further details regarding the approved action plan and recovery programs are available at scor.sc.gov/Helene, guiding affected individuals and local agencies through the available resources and support systems established for Hurricane Helene recovery.