Latest news with #Governor'sRecoveryOffice
Hamilton Spectator
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
North Carolina governor urges state lawmakers to include more Helene aid in upcoming budget
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urged state lawmakers Monday to allocate hundreds of millions more dollars toward western North Carolina's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene instead of waiting on 'uncertain federal assistance.' The money requested — $891 million — would go toward critical needs in Helene's aftermath, such as revitalizing local economies, repairing town infrastructure and providing housing assistance, Stein said during a news conference in still-recovering western North Carolina. Stein released the Helene proposal as the GOP-led North Carolina General Assembly prepares to finalize its state budget this summer. More than 100 people died as Helene tore through western North Carolina in September, destroying homes , businesses and roadways . The storm's record-breaking devastation totaled $59.6 billion in damages and recovery needs. Recovery has been slow in parts of the region as some hard-hit mountain towns still appear ravaged by the storm nearly eight months later. Navigating Helene recovery is one of the chief issues Stein has been tasked with handling upon his first few months in office. Some of the first actions his administration took focused on rehabilitating the western part of the state, as well as establishing the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina. 'This recovery is going to take a long time,' Stein said Monday. 'My administration, though, is in this for the long haul. I know that the legislature is as well.' In March, state lawmakers passed another Helene relief bill for $524 million — significantly less than the $1.07 billion Stein had requested the month before. That package added to more than $1.1 billion in Helene recovery activities appropriated or made available by the General Assembly the year prior, according to Stein's office. Last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved a $1.4 billion grant that would facilitate western North Carolina's long-term recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency — the federal organization responsible for addressing some of the immediate needs in Helene's aftermath — has also provided more than $700 million to state and local governments, as well as directly to North Carolinians. Talks over FEMA's effectiveness have ushered western North Carolina's recovery process into the national spotlight as President Donald Trump has suggested the agency's dissolution . As a candidate, Trump continually disparaged the agency's work in the region, which garnered support from those frustrated with a sometimes slow and complicated recovery process . Just last week, the agency's acting chief David Richardson announced plans to shift disaster recovery responsibilities to states for the upcoming hurricane season. Stein has called on the federal government to reform the agency but not to get rid of it, which he reiterated during his budget proposal announcement Monday. More than a quarter of Stein's proposal would go toward restoring local economies and their tourism industries. Another quarter would fund infrastructure repairs, debris cleanup and resiliency projects to better protect the region from future storms. Other allocations include addressing recovery needs such as housing assistance, fixing waterways and farmlands , and food insecurity. The state Senate has already approved its budget proposal and now awaits the House to release its plan this week. Then, state lawmakers can decide whether to incorporate some of Stein's requests on Helene aid as the two chambers work out differences, with the goal of having a final budget enacted by July 1.
San Francisco Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
North Carolina governor urges state lawmakers to include more Helene aid in upcoming budget
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urged state lawmakers Monday to allocate hundreds of millions more dollars toward western North Carolina's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene instead of waiting on 'uncertain federal assistance.' The money requested — $891 million — would go toward critical needs in Helene's aftermath, such as revitalizing local economies, repairing town infrastructure and providing housing assistance, Stein said during a news conference in still-recovering western North Carolina. Stein released the Helene proposal as the GOP-led North Carolina General Assembly prepares to finalize its state budget this summer. More than 100 people died as Helene tore through western North Carolina in September, destroying homes, businesses and roadways. The storm's record-breaking devastation totaled $59.6 billion in damages and recovery needs. Recovery has been slow in parts of the region as some hard-hit mountain towns still appear ravaged by the storm nearly eight months later. Navigating Helene recovery is one of the chief issues Stein has been tasked with handling upon his first few months in office. Some of the first actions his administration took focused on rehabilitating the western part of the state, as well as establishing the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina. 'This recovery is going to take a long time,' Stein said Monday. 'My administration, though, is in this for the long haul. I know that the legislature is as well.' In March, state lawmakers passed another Helene relief bill for $524 million — significantly less than the $1.07 billion Stein had requested the month before. That package added to more than $1.1 billion in Helene recovery activities appropriated or made available by the General Assembly the year prior, according to Stein's office. Last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved a $1.4 billion grant that would facilitate western North Carolina's long-term recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency — the federal organization responsible for addressing some of the immediate needs in Helene's aftermath — has also provided more than $700 million to state and local governments, as well as directly to North Carolinians. Talks over FEMA's effectiveness have ushered western North Carolina's recovery process into the national spotlight as President Donald Trump has suggested the agency's dissolution. As a candidate, Trump continually disparaged the agency's work in the region, which garnered support from those frustrated with a sometimes slow and complicated recovery process. Just last week, the agency's acting chief David Richardson announced plans to shift disaster recovery responsibilities to states for the upcoming hurricane season. Stein has called on the federal government to reform the agency but not to get rid of it, which he reiterated during his budget proposal announcement Monday. More than a quarter of Stein's proposal would go toward restoring local economies and their tourism industries. Another quarter would fund infrastructure repairs, debris cleanup and resiliency projects to better protect the region from future storms. Other allocations include addressing recovery needs such as housing assistance, fixing waterways and farmlands, and food insecurity. The state Senate has already approved its budget proposal and now awaits the House to release its plan this week. Then, state lawmakers can decide whether to incorporate some of Stein's requests on Helene aid as the two chambers work out differences, with the goal of having a final budget enacted by July 1.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina governor urges state lawmakers to include more Helene aid in upcoming budget
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein urged state lawmakers Monday to allocate hundreds of millions more dollars toward western North Carolina's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene instead of waiting on 'uncertain federal assistance.' The money requested — $891 million — would go toward critical needs in Helene's aftermath, such as revitalizing local economies, repairing town infrastructure and providing housing assistance, Stein said during a news conference in still-recovering western North Carolina. Stein released the Helene proposal as the GOP-led North Carolina General Assembly prepares to finalize its state budget this summer. More than 100 people died as Helene tore through western North Carolina in September, destroying homes, businesses and roadways. The storm's record-breaking devastation totaled $59.6 billion in damages and recovery needs. Recovery has been slow in parts of the region as some hard-hit mountain towns still appear ravaged by the storm nearly eight months later. Navigating Helene recovery is one of the chief issues Stein has been tasked with handling upon his first few months in office. Some of the first actions his administration took focused on rehabilitating the western part of the state, as well as establishing the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina. 'This recovery is going to take a long time,' Stein said Monday. 'My administration, though, is in this for the long haul. I know that the legislature is as well.' In March, state lawmakers passed another Helene relief bill for $524 million — significantly less than the $1.07 billion Stein had requested the month before. That package added to more than $1.1 billion in Helene recovery activities appropriated or made available by the General Assembly the year prior, according to Stein's office. Last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved a $1.4 billion grant that would facilitate western North Carolina's long-term recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency — the federal organization responsible for addressing some of the immediate needs in Helene's aftermath — has also provided more than $700 million to state and local governments, as well as directly to North Carolinians. Talks over FEMA's effectiveness have ushered western North Carolina's recovery process into the national spotlight as President Donald Trump has suggested the agency's dissolution. As a candidate, Trump continually disparaged the agency's work in the region, which garnered support from those frustrated with a sometimes slow and complicated recovery process. Just last week, the agency's acting chief David Richardson announced plans to shift disaster recovery responsibilities to states for the upcoming hurricane season. Stein has called on the federal government to reform the agency but not to get rid of it, which he reiterated during his budget proposal announcement Monday. More than a quarter of Stein's proposal would go toward restoring local economies and their tourism industries. Another quarter would fund infrastructure repairs, debris cleanup and resiliency projects to better protect the region from future storms. Other allocations include addressing recovery needs such as housing assistance, fixing waterways and farmlands, and food insecurity. The state Senate has already approved its budget proposal and now awaits the House to release its plan this week. Then, state lawmakers can decide whether to incorporate some of Stein's requests on Helene aid as the two chambers work out differences, with the goal of having a final budget enacted by July 1. Makiya Seminera, The Associated Press
The Independent
30-01-2025
- Business
- The Independent
North Carolina officials make urgent request to lawmakers on Helene and other hurricanes
North Carolina officials charged with leading recovery efforts in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene — as well as parts of eastern North Carolina still struggling from previous hurricanes — told state lawmakers this week that they need more money. And they need it soon. Western North Carolina will need billions more dollars from the federal and state government to accomplish its recovery goals, according to officials in Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's administration at a Wednesday legislative meeting. The region saw historic flooding from Helene last year, which resulted in almost $60 billion in damages. A day later, the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency called on the legislature to provide $217 million as a final request to finish construction on more than 1,100 eastern North Carolina homes devastated by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018. NCORR has been plagued with financial problems — namely a reported budget shortfall last year — which has fueled criticism from lawmakers. For Helene's recovery, the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina advisor Jonathan Krebs outlined a funding gap of about $10 billion between money North Carolina requested from the federal government and what the state has received. Stein's administration is requesting that additional money for western North Carolina be included in any future funding bill to address the southern California wildfires. To address some lawmakers' critiques of how recovery process have been handled so far, Krebs urged the legislature to appropriate more state funds toward the rebuilding efforts. Krebs said the recovery office is largely reliant on receiving reimbursements from the federal government, but having more state funds at their disposal would allow the office to work outside of that system. He said the office also anticipates further delays from the federal government in funding. 'We don't want to bog this down with thick layers of bureaucracy, we want to be able to move nimbly,' office director Matt Calabria said. The office described four critical needs in western North Carolina: debris removal, housing recovery, economic revitalization for impacted towns and repairs for roads and bridges. GROW NC's goal is to largely complete housing projects within four years, Krebs said, but further repairs on roads and bridges could take about a decade. Lawmakers frequently drew a contrast between the ongoing recovery plan for western North Carolina with NCORR's work in the east for nearly a decade. GOP legislators have vowed that western North Carolina's recovery will be run more effectively than in eastern North Carolina, which Republicans have repeatedly described as slow and inefficient. "We still have families across the state waiting for a home. This is unacceptable," Columbus County Rep. Brenden Jones said during Thursday's hearing. NCORR leaders — such as former chief operating officer Laura Hogshead, who exited from her position in November — have previously attributed the office's financial issues to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising infrastructure costs. But during Thursday's hearing, NCORR leader Pryor Gibson acknowledged 'the mistakes' in the office's past management of housing recovery. Gibson detailed NCORR's ongoing struggles with retaining a reliable base of contractors due to a lack of funds. Gibson called the situation a 'double jeopardy' that could only be solved by 'dependable money' rather than piecemeal funding from the legislature. 'If we don't have projects in the pipe, our contractors will leave. They've said it out loud," Gibson said. "And if they leave, honestly, with eastern recovery, we will not have the ability to put it back together.' A little more than half of the 1,179 remaining homes are under construction, while the other half are awaiting construction, according to the recovery office. Gibson estimated the remaining homes' construction could be completed by the end of 2025 if the office received adequate funding.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal money for housing in western NC could be delayed until fall, top Helene officials warn
Matt Calabria (left), who leads the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina, and Jonathan Krebs, Gov. Josh Stein's advisor for western North Carolina, testify for state lawmakers on Hurricane Helene recovery efforts on Jan. 29, 2025. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) Gov. Josh Stein's top lieutenants for Hurricane Helene recovery warned Wednesday that key federal money to rebuild homes could be delayed for months, possibly into the fall. Jonathan Krebs, Stein's advisor for western North Carolina, told state lawmakers that he was concerned the dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Management could be held up 'outside of our control, for a variety of reasons.' 'It does not sit particularly well,' Krebs said. 'If we are going to build this summer and start the work on permanent housing, we're going to have to come up with some creative solutions.' The timeline would throw another wrench in an already complex recovery effort in the mountains, with 2,600 households currently in temporary shelters. Many of those North Carolinians could still not have permanent homes when winter weather returns in the fall. Those delays could force the General Assembly to explore ways to fund housing themselves — an approach that could butt up against leaders' desire to spend cautiously and rely heavily on federal dollars. 'We're all adults in the room,' said Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood). 'Tell us how much money you need. … I know it doesn't happen as quickly as it was destroyed. But so far we haven't moved the needle.' Rep. Pless also raised concerns in November that state legislators failed to provide substantial relief for western North Carolina in their latest round of funding. Republican leaders have defended their approach to aid, arguing that federal dollars would provide the bulk of support. Multiple lawmakers on Wednesday led questioning toward the same core concern — a lack of sufficient money for the coming months. And although FEMA dollars were recently reactivated after a daylong freeze, Krebs said 'we are in need of some spending authority here very soon, either way.' Krebs and Matt Calabria, who leads Stein's new GROW NC office, estimated that the state has received about $15.7 billion in federal dollars. That's about $10 billion less than what state leaders requested. State lawmakers have allocated $901 million in total dollars for recovery through three relief packages; the third package appropriated an additional $200 million, but does not specifically assign it to be spent. Helene caused approximately $58 billion in damages across western North Carolina, officials have estimated. HUD did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Wednesday about the timeline for federal housing money. For several lawmakers, the financial troubles of North Carolina's previous hurricane house-building agency — ReBuild NC — remained top of mind. 'Do you promise that if you encumber money to build a house, that it will stay encumbered and not be used for something else?' asked Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry), referencing accounting issues that led to a growing deficit at ReBuild NC. 'We're not big fans of double counting, and we don't have any intention of doing so,' Calabria replied. The former Wake County commissioner indicated that relative to ReBuild NC and other states' structures, GROW NC would remain relatively 'lean' in size. He called it a 'nerve center' for recovery efforts. 'We don't want to bog this down with thick layers of bureaucracy,' Calabria said. 'We want to move nimbly.' Stein has pledged to continue rebuilding from Helene 'for as long as it takes' — emphasizing housing, supporting businesses and rebuilding infrastructure as top priorities. He spun up GROW NC to spearhead recovery, making it distinct from the controversial homebuilding office that has run up a major deficit and attracted ire from Republican lawmakers. Those lawmakers, despite frustrations with the agency under former Gov. Roy Cooper, have expressed optimism about working with Stein more broadly on Helene. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said earlier this month that he was 'hopefuly that we'll be able to find common ground.' And on Wednesday, House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) told reporters he had spoken to Stein and was 'encouraged about his willingness to make modifications' to the ReBuild NC model. 'I think he recognizes mistakes were made with NCORR in the past,' Hall said. 'So, we're doing all we can to work in good faith with the Governor. I think he's doing the same thing.' Lynn Bonner contributed reporting.
