ERIC CHURCH AND CHIEF CARES BREAK GROUND ON FIRST MID-TO LONG-TERM HOUSING COMMUNITY IN AVERY COUNTY, N.C.

AVERY COUNTY, N.C. – Chief Cares, the nonprofit founded by country music star Eric Church and his wife Katherine in 2013, has officially broken ground on its first mid- to long-term housing development to support families displaced by Hurricane Helene. The development, called Blue Haven, is located in Avery County, North Carolina – an area close to Church’s heart and home.

Standing before local leaders, supporters and community members Friday, April 11, Church shared a deeply personal vision for the future. “The land we stand on today sits in the heart of a county that has meant so much to me,” he said. “This is a place my family and I are proud to call home… Mountain people, my people.”

Chief Cares: A Renewed Mission
 
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of Western North Carolina in September 2024, Chief Cares shifted its mission to address a growing need: keeping people in their communities after disaster strikes. While emergency relief efforts are critical in the immediate aftermath, Chief Cares is focused on what happens next – on providing families with a path to stability, homeownership and dignity.

This effort is being launched under a new initiative called Blueprint for the Blue Ridge, a scalable model for disaster recovery rooted in housing, community and mid- to long-term support.

“We realized that keeping the people in their communities after disaster was a problem with no real solution. We wanted to change that,” Church said. “This is truly a hand up, not a handout. Dignity and community are key to the long-term success of the Blueprint.”

About Blue Haven

Blue Haven will offer roughly 45 homes across a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans. Chief Cares and its partners are acquiring the land, preparing the infrastructure and building the homes. Selected families’ housing expenses will be financially assisted to allow them to live affordably for up to three years while they rebuild their lives. At the end of that term, families will have the option to purchase their homes – with support from Chief Cares in accessing any available resources.

“The community in this extraordinary setting will provide a shelter of time for its members and owners,” Church said. “We put a house where your home is, so that house can be your home.”

Work is already underway, and families are expected to move in by late summer 2025.

A Scalable Model for the Nation

While Blue Haven is the first, it won’t be the last. Chief Cares has plans to expand into neighboring counties, with the ultimate goal of creating a national model for disaster recovery rooted in permanence, pride and place.

“It is our hope and belief that this will provide guidance and support to other communities facing devastation,” Church said. “A map to a destination of keeping those communities intact.”
 
For more information, visit ChiefCares.org.

About Chief Cares
Chief Cares was established by Eric and Katherine Church in 2013 to impact lives and make a difference not only in the United States but throughout the world. In response to Hurricane Helene, the organization is now focused on mid- to long-term disaster recovery, beginning with a bold housing initiative in Western North Carolina that aims to become a national model for rebuilding communities after disasters.

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has amassed a passionate fan base around his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including RIAA Gold-certified Desperate Man (“Some Of It,” “Desperate Man”), Platinum-certified Sinners Like Me (“How ’Bout You,” “Guys Like Me”), Carolina (“Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most”) and Mr. Misunderstood (“Record Year,” “Round Here Buzz”), Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently opened Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.