North Wake News

Governor Josh Stein has forwarded North Carolina's Action Plan for a federal disaster recovery grant valued at $1.4 billion to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The plan addresses the unmet needs in housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization in western North Carolina following a major hurricane.

The submission comes on the heels of a 30-day public comment period, during which input was gathered from residents. This expedited submission makes North Carolina the fastest state to have proposed a plan after such a disaster in the past decade.

“To rebuild damaged communities, we must rebuild people’s homes and our critical infrastructure,” said Governor Stein. He expressed gratitude for the contributions from residents and urged swift approval from the federal government to accelerate permanent home rebuilding efforts.

Governor Stein, through his third executive order, has established a new division within the Commerce Department to manage the HUD Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program for the region. The Division of Community Revitalization, directed by Deputy Secretary Stephanie McGarrah, played a key role in developing the Action Plan and conducting public engagement, including meetings in six locations across western North Carolina.

The CDBG-DR grants target long-term recovery needs and focus on housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization. The Helene Action Plan allocates most funds for housing recovery, particularly for low and moderate-income residents, with the balance devoted to infrastructure and economic revitalization initiatives.

“We are moving with urgency so that western North Carolina receives the relief it needs,” stated North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. He acknowledged the input from the public and the efforts of those who contributed to the plan and expressed optimism for HUD's swift approval.

The pending HUD CDBG-DR grant is conditional upon federal approval. Meanwhile, the Division of Community Revitalization has initiated housing recovery activities due to a recent allocation of $120 million in state funds from the General Assembly. Despite ongoing assessments, the current state grant of $1.42 billion is anticipated to be insufficient to entirely address the region's housing needs. Additionally, a separate HUD grant of $225 million has been assigned directly to the City of Asheville.

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