On the eve of his Western North Carolina visit, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has signed off on more than $26 million in hazard mitigation funding that could finally get long delayed home buyouts moving in Polk, Yancey and Henderson counties, Sen. Ted Budd announced today.
The money is meant to reimburse property owners whose homes were hammered in recent storms and to move dozens of those properties into the state’s pre-offer buyout process ahead of Mullin’s tomorrow swing through the region.
Glad to share that ahead of his visit tomorrow, @SecMullinDHS has approved $26M+ in Hazard Mitigation funds to reimburse property owners for dozens of homes across WNC in Polk, Yancey, & Henderson counties. Grateful for his efforts to ensure these funds move after long delay. https://x.com/i/status/2041198132801740810
— Senator Ted Budd (@sentedbuddnc) April 6, 2026
What the announcement says
In an X post today, Sen. Ted Budd said Mullin had approved more than $26 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding to reimburse property owners for “dozens” of homes in Polk, Yancey and Henderson counties. He highlighted that the move came ahead of Mullin’s April 7 visit and framed the decision as long awaited follow-through after a prolonged delay in getting money to Western North Carolina homeowners. According to Budd’s post, this was the first time those specific counties were publicly identified in connection with this funding.
Where this fits in Helene recovery
The newly cleared dollars appear to be part of the same Hazard Mitigation Grant Program pot that has been supporting buyouts and elevation projects tied to Tropical Storm Helene. In January, Blue Ridge Public Radio reported that roughly $26 million in HMGP investments had already been approved for Western North Carolina. That earlier approval opened the door for the first properties to enter the state’s pre-offer sequence, setting the template for what this new batch of homes is expected to follow.
How buyouts move from approval to offers
Federal sign-off is only the starting gun. After DHS and FEMA clear funding, counties and the state are responsible for the on-the-ground work: surveys of each property, professional appraisals and detailed briefings for owners before any actual purchase offers land in mailboxes…