Buncombe County narrows General Assistance eligibility, shifts to tiered payments and opens benefits to renters

Interim economic services director Kimberly Fullerton outlined major changes to Buncombe County’s General Assistance program during the board’s September meeting, saying the program consolidates the former homeowner grant and broadens eligibility while tightening asset limits.

"One of the really huge changes when we moved into this year was the reserve limit…that was decreased in this current year to 5,000," Fullerton said, explaining the county lowered the liquid reserve limit from $60,000 to $5,000 to focus assistance on higher-need households. She said eligibility moved from 80% of area median income under the old homeowner grant to a cap of 200% of the federal poverty level under the new GA rules, and that renters are now eligible as well as homeowners.

Fullerton described a tiered payment structure tied to household income: households below 130% of the federal poverty level receive $500, while those between 131% and 200% receive $350 (City of Asheville contributed funds to the program this year). She said the county expects to spend more in FY27 than in the past four years because application volume is up and that about 75% of approved applicants to date are renters—residents who were previously ineligible.

The director showed early program data and demographic breakdowns for approved applications, noting utilities are currently the largest single category of assistance. Fullerton also said some applicants have been denied for exceeding the revised liquid reserve limit or for failing to provide required documentation. She warned that the county-funded emergency assistance pool has shrunk substantially in recent years, which may leave fewer local resources available for crisis needs.

The board did not take a formal vote on policy changes at the meeting; Fullerton said the program will continue to operate year-round until funds are depleted, with priority windows to mimic prior homeowner-grant cycles.

The presentation included projected spending trends and a breakdown of approvals and denials; Fullerton said more detailed household counts will be provided to the board in follow-up materials.