Federal Helene Relief: Hurricane Helene Block Grant Applications to Open March 16

Applications for the Hurricane Helene block grant program for Georgia farmers will open on Monday, March 16, 2026, and close on Monday, April 27, 2026.

In December 2024, Sen. Ossoff helped pass $21 billion in agricultural disaster funding for farmers after the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. The State of Georgia requested funding be delivered via a block grant — a request that Congress accommodated.

Since, Sen. Ossoff continuously pressed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to deliver the funds to the State to be distributed to Georgia farmers trying to recover from Hurricane Helene’s devastation.

Georgia farmers, ranchers, and foresters in eligible counties that have suffered losses in timber, infrastructure, poultry, beef cattle, dairy cattle, milk loss, dairy feed loss, pecans, blueberries, citrus, nursery, plasticulture, and bare ground practices due to Hurricane Helene are eligible to apply for the block grant.

Eligible counties include: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Grady, Hancock, Houston, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Marion, McDuffie, McIntosh, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, Oglethorpe, Pierce, Pulaski, Quitman, Rabun, Randolph, Richmond, Screven, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Turner, Twiggs, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, and Worth.

For more information on the block grant application, please visit www.agr.georgia.gov/hurricane-helene-block-grant. You can also find answers to frequently asked questions here.

If you have questions regarding the block grant application, you can contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture by phone at 404-656-3630 or via email at hbg@agr.georgia.gov.

If you have any additional questions, please call Sen. Ossoff’s office at 202-224-3521.

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Rural organizations working to expand housing and community development now have an opportunity to receive free technical support through the Housing Assistance Council’s OneRural Technical Assistance Program. Applications for Round 6 are now open and will be accepted through March 31, 2026, with additional applications considered through April 15 if space remains. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rural Capacity Building Program and USDA Rural Development’s Rural Community Development Initiative, OneRural provides no-cost, one-on-one technical assistance to help rural organizations strengthen operations, build capacity, and expand affordable housing and community development efforts. Selected participants receive expert guidance on housing development and financing, specialized training resources, and support from a dedicated HAC team partner to help implement solutions and grow long-term impact. Because the program is competitive and space is limited, applicants are encouraged to submit strong proposals that clearly demonstrate organizational goals and leadership commitment. Organizations can learn more and apply online, or direct questions to apply@ruralhome.org