Old North News

Governor Josh Stein of North Carolina has submitted the state's proposed Action Plan for a $1.4 billion federal disaster recovery grant to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding aims to address the unmet needs of housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization in western North Carolina. Stein highlighted that North Carolina is the quickest state to submit such a plan following a major hurricane in the past decade, emphasizing the importance of utilizing federal housing money for those impacted.

“To rebuild damaged communities, we must rebuild people’s homes and our critical infrastructure,” Stein stated. He expressed gratitude to the residents who contributed feedback during a 30-day public comment period and urged the federal government for a swift review and approval of the plan to expedite permanent home rebuilding efforts.

In an effort to administer the HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program for the region, Stein signed an executive order establishing a new division within the Commerce Department. This Division of Community Revitalization, led by Deputy Secretary Stephanie McGarrah, played a key role in developing the Action Plan and organizing a comprehensive engagement program, which included public meetings across six locations in western North Carolina.

The CDBG-DR grants focus on long-term rebuilding needs, targeting housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization. The Helene Action Plan directs most funds towards housing recovery for low and moderate-income residents, with the remainder earmarked for infrastructure and economic revitalization efforts, especially for small businesses.

North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley stated, “We are moving with urgency so that western North Carolina receives the relief it needs.” He acknowledged the public for their feedback and expressed anticipation for the plan’s approval by HUD.

While the state awaits HUD's decision, the Division of Community Revitalization has already commenced housing recovery activities, courtesy of a $120 million state funds appropriation. However, this current $1.42 billion allocation still does not cover all unmet housing needs in the region. Additionally, a separate $225 million HUD CDBG-DR grant was allocated to the City of Asheville directly.