Dear Council Members & County Commissioners,

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with Asheville Food & Beverage United [AFBU] and call upon the Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Commissioners to take strong and immediate action to protect the essential service workers and small businesses that have undeniably formed the backbone of Asheville’s tourism economy.

FEMA reports that 40% of businesses (not just hospitality), will never reopen or recover after a disaster of this scale. In the first official radio broadcast, just days after Helene hit, Asheville city representatives reported that this event was by far worse than 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Our own TDA reports that it took the greater NOLA area 48 months for a return to visitor spending following that historic storm.

In the aftermath of this disaster, Asheville’s service and hospitality workforce face an unprecedented crisis, with thousands of employees experiencing layoffs, income loss, and the ever-looming threat of eviction. Our city’s recovery depends on bold, and decisive action to support these workers and businesses in their time of need.

We, the undersigned, respectfully urge Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Commissioners to meet the following three critical demands:

1. Immediate Rental Assistance: Workers across Buncombe County, especially in hospitality, are losing their homes and livelihoods. The city must provide immediate rental relief—now. A total of 670 residential buildings have been confirmed as damaged, with 294 completely destroyed, and the most recent estimates of potable water restoration are mid-December at the earliest; Yet people are still expected to pay rent. The city must take immediate action to provide rental relief and utilize HUD's newly released $3 million in RUSH funds to prevent a winter eviction crisis. Without intervention, hundreds more will face housing insecurity, if not outright houselessness, while a surge of evictions strains an already overwhelmed court and justice system.

2. AVL TDA (Tourism Development Authority) accountability and financial aid: The Tourism Development Authority (TDA) has long benefited from Asheville’s service workers and independent businesses, vital to the city’s identity. Now, as these workers and businesses struggle to recover, it is imperative that a substantial portion of TDA funds be redirected for community aid. The current $750,000 in the “Always Asheville” Fund falls short, and we urge city and county officials to push for legislation allowing more of TDA’s $27.3 million budget, as well as their $13.9 million in designated contingency funds to support recovery efforts.

There are 916 restaurants in the greater Asheville area, with only 22% currently operating post-Helene. According to the TDA, these restaurants are currently paying $800-$1000 in water daily, and hotels are paying an average of $15k-$20k weekly. This exponential 9x increase in water utilities represents just one of the many inflated expenses these businesses must account for under new operating procedures implemented by the Buncombe County Health Department.This does not include the additional expenses of increased sanitation equipment and supplies, or disposable utensils, and paper products. Businesses and workers need direct and sustained financial support in order to maintain Asheville’s tourism economy.

3. Temporary Rent Freezes and Eviction Moratoriums: We urgently call on the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville (HACA) to implement a 90-day rent and eviction moratorium. As over 12,000 individuals in Buncombe County file for Disaster Unemployment and only 22% of local Food and Beverage establishments reopen in limited capacity, Asheville’s workforce faces an unprecedented housing crisis. Approximately 25% of the general workforce has already left Asheville. What will be done for those who are choosing to stay and fight for this city? These are the workers who feed our city and welcome its visitors, and they cannot rebuild their lives if they lose their homes. Stabilizing housing through a rent and eviction moratorium is essential for these individuals to recover. We need the support of restaurant workers and allies nationwide to pressure local officials into action and ensure the council understands the severity of this demand.

These demands were the points AFBU co-chairs and other concerned citizens attempted to raise in the City Council’s public comment period on October 22nd, but were blocked.

The city vigil was deliberately scheduled over top of the council’s general public comment period– cutting the allotted time short by one hour in the first meeting post-Helene. This deliberate action was made to suppress the voices of those who sought to speak on behalf of the workers and community members most affected by this unfathomable crisis.

This petition serves as a formal, documented submission of the concerns we were denied the opportunity to express in person.

We also remind the council and commissioners that, while Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore and County Commissioner Terri Wells serve as non-voting ex-officio members on the TDA board, their positions allow them to influence discussions and advocate for disaster recovery efforts. Their voices on the board are crucial in representing the needs of Asheville’s workers and small businesses. We urge them to leverage their roles to push for TDA resources to support these critical community needs.

In closing, service workers are the foundation of Asheville’s tourism industry. Without their contributions, Asheville’s character, strength, and reputation will erode. We stand at a pivotal moment where Asheville must choose to support those who have dedicated their lives to its growth, or risk losing the loyal and hardworking community that makes this city unique.

We, the undersigned, urge Asheville City Council and Buncombe County Commissioners to act swiftly to implement these measures and demonstrate a commitment to the people and businesses who are the heart and soul of Asheville.

Group Endorsements from: Asheville DSA Steering Committee, Firestorm, WNC Tenants Network, WNC Workers' Assembly