The Neighborhood Economics conference in Asheville, NC, gathered over 200 attendees in April 2025 to address community rebuilding after Hurricane Helene caused extensive damage. Originally slated for November, the eventâs postponement highlighted the ongoing effects of the storm. With a focus on leveraging faith-based organizations for local wealth building, attendees discussed strategies for recovery amidst the ongoing challenges of funding and infrastructure. Local organizers shared personal experiences of flooding, emphasizing the need for systemic change to improve community wellbeing and support beyond the immediate recovery efforts seen in tourist areas.
Our house is 100 feet from the river. We were flooded. Six months after the storm, my farm near the Swannanoa River was still three feet of sand dunes.
We are systematically overinvesting in Fortune 500 companies and underinvesting in community wellbeing.
The tourist district in downtown Asheville has already been restored, giving the misleading impression that the storm's impact is in the past.
Attendees sought to strategize about how to rebuild and identify the systemic changes required for the future.
Collection
[
|
...
]