Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) is pleased to announce a $268,000 grant from the SOULSHINE Concert Fund, awarded to support ongoing housing recovery post-Tropical Storm Helene. The grant funds are dedicated to MHO’s Essential Home Repair (EHR) program and help underwrite efforts to keep vulnerable homeowners healthy and housed through critical home repairs. The SOUSHINE Concert Fund was created by a benefit concert headlined by the Dave Matthews Band and held in Madison Square Garden on November 24, 2024, to aid Tropical Storm Helene relief and recovery. Through ticket sales, merchandise, sponsorships, and donations, the event raised over $4.5M for the SOULSHINE Concert Fund at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, which has distributed funds to a variety of organizations on the ground in North Carolina and Florida.
MHO has already served over 140 families through the EHR program in 2025, including 17 households whose homes sustained damage during Tropical Storm Helene. These health- and safety-related repairs are provided at no cost to the homeowner and include repairs to the home’s structural envelope, roof, water, sewer, septic, plumbing, electrical, heating, flooring, and moisture/mold mitigation. MHO also works with homeowners to add accessibility features like ramps, railings, grab bars, and step-in showers. The timely grant from SOULSHINE ensures MHO won’t have to delay or reduce critical home repair services when they are needed most.
“We’re grateful to our partners at the SOULSHINE Concert Fund for stepping up in such a meaningful way,” said Geoffrey Barton, President and CEO of Mountain Housing Opportunities. “This grant helps us continue showing up for our neighbors and repairing homes quickly and safely, making sure families across Buncombe County can stay in the places they’ve long called home.”
Every person deserves to feel safe and secure in the place they call home. Essential home repair improves quality of life, preserves affordable housing, and prevents displacement and homelessness for our neighbors. Whether you are dealing with storm-related repairs or a home repair you have needed for some time, MHO is here to help you reduce the immediate threat to life, health, and safety in your home in Buncombe County.