655,131. That’s how many North Carolina households are living in poverty, and subsequently in potentially unsafe living conditions.
It goes without saying that a healthy and safe home environment is at the center of our well-being. However, the kind of home safety updates necessary to protect our health are unaffordable for many families in need. As we enter hurricane season in North Carolina, that reality becomes all too clear.
That’s why Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) is investing $2 million in the North Carolina Community Action Association (NCCAA), a statewide organization serving disadvantaged communities in our state. This partnership will help nearly 700 households make vital home repairs—improving the health of these families and in turn, our entire state.
The funds will be used by the NCCAA to mobilize their member agencies across the state to assess homes, conduct repairs and evaluate results in targeted communities across the state.
In Asheville North Carolina, NCCAA agency Community Action Opportunities will receive an estimated $288,000 helping improve the living environment of 108 households by lowering utility bills and offering affordable housing alternatives to those in need. Below are the percentages of people living in poverty in the following counties:
Buncombe County – 13.8%
Madison County – 16.4%
Henderson County- 15.9%
Transylvania County – 16.7%
Cleveland County – 15.3%
McDowell County – 22.5%
Polk County- 21.5%
Rutherford County- 16.5%
Blue Cross NC’s support of NCCAA, and their mission to provide safer housing for low-income families in North Carolina, is part of the company’s $50 million investment in Community Health initiatives across the state.