Trump Administration approves $1.4B plan to rebuild in western NC after Helene
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved North Carolina's Housing Recovery Action Plan for a $1.4 billion grant to help western North Carolina rebuild after Hurricane Helene, Gov. Josh Stein announced Friday afternoon.
'This is great news for western North Carolina,' Stein said in a news release. 'I thank the Trump Administration for moving quickly to approve this plan so we can get busy rebuilding people's homes.'
Approving the action plan was the required next step for North Carolina to receive federal funds from the CDBG-DR grant award, which was first announced in January.
North Carolina can sign the grant agreement and begin committing the funds with a focus on housing and economic revitalization after HUD certifies the state's financial controls for the program.
'We've learned so much from the many people and organizations that have taken time to offer their suggestions, and I'm grateful for everyone's participation so far,' said Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Stephanie McGarrah in the news release. 'We know the road to full recovery will be a long journey, but the Department of Commerce and my team are ready to get to work.'
CDBG-DR grants focus on long-term rebuilding rather than immediate needs for shelter and are considered 'last resort' funds to be used after other recovery sources have been tapped, such as private insurance, the governor's office stated.
The governor's office stated that the grants address unmet needs in three core areas of recovery, which are housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization.
The Helene Action Plan proposes that most of the money will go to housing recovery for low- and moderate-income residents, with the rest for infrastructure rebuilding and economic development.
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