City

Asheville City Council approves $15.5 million in CDBG-DR funding for small businesses

Four local organizations will administer grant programs through the city’s Small Business Support Program.

January 27, 2026 • 
Grace Powers
asheville skyline

The funds are intended to revitalize Asheville’s small business sector.

Photo via Canva

At its Tuesday, Jan. 27 meeting, Asheville City Council approved spending $15.5 million in CDBG-DR funding to support local small business recovery in the wake of Helene.

Through the Small Business Support Program, funding will be given to four local organizations to run grant programs for affected businesses:

  • Mountain BizWorks - $10 million
  • ArtsAVL - $2,322,500
  • Eagle Market Streets - $2,322,500
  • Venture Asheville - $855,000

Next, city officials will work with each partner to finalize details and lock in the details of how each program will work before launching.

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