Habitat for Humanity of York County (HFHYC) announced Wednesday that it will provide $250,000 in assistance to certain uninsured homeowners whose properties were damaged by an April hailstorm.
The money will be made available to uninsured homeowners living in Rock Hill’s Southside neighborhood – the city’s poorest and most vulnerable neighborhood, which took the brunt of what the National Weather Service called a “very rare” and especially violent storm.
The storm left millions of dollars in damages in its wake, from hailstones ranging in size from golf balls to tangerines that were hurled by winds reaching 70 to 90 miles per hour.
In a statement Wednesday, Habitat said the initiative will “provide crucial assistance to those most affected, ensuring that they can rebuild and restore their homes and lives.”
Tim Veeck, CEO of HFHYC, said, "Habitat for Humanity of York County has partnered with the Crawford Road community for years, and our board has made this funding commitment to demonstrate our solidarity and partnership with the South Side of Rock Hill and to highlight the necessity for equitable opportunities to recover from this storm.”
The agency’s statement added, “This funding commitment will bolster these efforts, providing a dual benefit of storm recovery and sustainable community development.”
The funds were raised through partnerships with Abundant Life Church, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Eta Alpha Omega Chapter, Epiphany Lutheran Church, Habitat for Humanity International, Innolect, Lutheran Disaster Response, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Ricky Potts and the Charlotte Line Dancing Community, Skyla Credit Union, State Farm, and individual donors, according to HFHYC.
A spokesperson for HFHYC said Wednesday that the agency has identified 15 homeowners who are likely to qualify for assistance, and that more are expected. At an April event to measure need following the storm, HFHYC met with nearly 170 residents who could qualify.
The assistance from Habitat is meant to augment disaster relief loans made available through the Small Business Association, following a request by Gov. Henry McMaster for aid. The storm, though broadly damaging to parts of Rock Hill and York County, did not meet criteria to warrant federal disaster relief funding.
