On Tuesday, July 22, the Land of the Sky Association of REALTORS® (LOTSAR) and Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church officially launched the Grace in Action Fund, a collaborative effort to provide housing assistance across Western North Carolina.
During the launch event, which was sponsored by HomeTrust Bank in Asheville, LOTSAR contributed $10,000 to help kick off the initiative—an impressive investment in keeping residents housed.
For LOTSAR, the fund is part of a broader commitment to addressing the region’s housing challenges. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, members and staff helped homeowners and tenants receive $1.2 million in recovery funds through the National Association of REALTORS® and NC REALTORS®. Additional efforts included sharing resources for rebuilding, guidance on state and federal assistance applications, providing water testing information when the local supply was compromised, working alongside an affordable housing developer to offer temporary housing cottages, and hosting presentations on legal and regulatory issues related to the hurricane’s impact on real estate.
“As Realtors, getting people into homes is one of our top priorities,” said LOTSAR President Rachel Brown. “Helping them stay there is also high on our list.”
Grace Covenant shares similar priorities. Since the storm last September, the church has served as a vital safety net, distributing more than $5.5 million in emergency rent, mortgage, and utility assistance to individuals and families across 12 WNC counties. But the need hasn’t slowed. Every week, at least 100 people walk through the church’s doors in crisis.
The Grace in Action Fund represents the next phase in our region’s recovery. With ongoing support from LOTSAR and other partners, the fund aims to transition from immediate relief to long-term housing stabilization by providing fast and flexible assistance to those at risk of losing their homes.
At the launch event, guests heard from Grace Covenant and LOTSAR leaders, along with past recipients like Micah Taylor Hayes, who received support in 2024 after an unexpected car repair left him and his son on the brink of foreclosure.
“Grace Covenant opened up the doors and removed the barriers for access to rental support,” Hayes said. “That was key to serving the community.”
Pastor Marcia Mount Shoop also spoke to the power of the fund.
“I believe this is the order of magnitude of resource sharing that our community needs to transform—to come out of Hurricane Helene better than we were before and to really strengthen the ties that bind us together as human beings,” Shoop said. “So I am beyond grateful for the Land of the Sky Association of REALTORS®, for HomeTrust Bank, and for all of our partners.”
Learn more and support the Grace in Action Fund at lotsar.org/grace.
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