Latest news with #NorthCarolinaDepartmentofCommerce
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Western NC workforce boards offered $500,000 to assist with Helene recovery
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The North Carolina Department of Commerce is providing funds for workforce boards in western North Carolina counties impacted by Hurricane Helene, state officials said Wednesday. According to the Department of Commerce, the Hurricane Helene Business Edge Fund offers $500,000 to the western North Carolina workforce boards in an effort to help communities retain jobs and businesses. Workforce development boards in impacted counties may apply to the Division of Workforce Solutions for funding and provide grants of up to $10,000 each to eligible businesses and community-based organizations. Employers in the impacted counties will be eligible to apply to their local workforce board, according to the Department of Commerce. State officials said the counties eligible for the funds include Ashe, Avery, Burke, Buncombe, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey. To apply, state officials said businesses must have been in operation for at least two years, be current on Unemployment Insurance taxes, and be in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service. The application should demonstrate a need for layoff aversion support and outline reasonable uses for the funds. Local workforce development boards may add their own application requirements. The Hurricane Helene Business Edge Fund may not be used for products or services covered by insurance, hazard pay, rent, employee wages and benefits, certain support services for employees, and improvements, upgrades, or equipment that contribute to the capital assets of a business, according to the Department of Commerce. Businesses are asked to contact their local workforce development board or NCWorks Career Center to apply for the Hurricane Helene Business Edge Fund. Contact information can be found on the North Carolina Association of Workforce Development Boards website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina submits disaster ‘Action Plan' for federal housing dollars
A storm-damaged home in western North Carolina. (Photo: North Carolina Department of Commerce HUD CDBG-DR Helene recovery Action Plan) North Carolina has submitted its Action Plan for $1.4 billion in federal disaster recovery money to address unmet housing, infrastructure and economic revitalization needs in western North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein's press office reported Thursday. The plan was submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for approval on Wednesday after a 30-day public comment period. If approved by HUD, a little more than 60% — $860.7 million — of the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) money would go to reconstruct and rehabilitate owner-occupied housing damaged during Hurricane Helene. Meanwhile, 13.55% — $193.5 million — of the federal dollars would go to electrical, gas water, sewer, waste and telecom infrastructure repairs and improvements as well as road and bridge repairs. Another 13.4% — $191.3 million would go to rental housing repairs. The plans also call for 13% — $186 million — for 'mitigation set-asides.' HUD describes these as efforts to 'increase resilience to disasters and reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of loss of life, injury, damage to and loss of property, and suffering and hardship by lessening the impact of future disasters.' Also, 7.8% — $111 million — is earmarked for economic revitalization. 'To rebuild damaged communities, we must rebuild people's homes and our critical infrastructure,' Stein said in a news release. 'I am grateful to the many North Carolinians who provided input on this plan over the past 30 days, and I urge the federal government to review and approve it swiftly so we can jumpstart permanent home rebuilding as quickly as possible.' Stein has created a new division at the Commerce Department to administer the HUD CDBG-DR program for western North Carolina. The Division of Community Revitalization is led by Deputy Secretary Stephanie McGarrah, which spearheaded the development of the Action Plan. CDBG-DR grants focus on longer-term rebuilding rather than immediate needs for shelter. They are intended to address unmet needs in three core areas of recovery – housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization. The Action Plan proposes that most funds go to housing recovery for low- and moderate-income residents, with the remaining funds targeted for infrastructure rebuilding and economic revitalization, particularly for small businesses and commercial districts. 'We are moving with urgency so that western North Carolina receives the relief it needs,' said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. As the state awaits HUD approval, the Division of Community Revitalization's housing recovery work has already gotten underway with a recent appropriation of $120 million in state funds from the General Assembly for home reconstruction and repair. Although damage assessments are still ongoing, the current allotment of $1.42 billion will fall short of the unmet housing needs facing the region. A separate HUD CDBG-DR grant of $225 million was allocated directly to the City of Asheville to administer.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IBM layoffs, Panera factory closure impacting Piedmont Triad, WARN notices show
(WGHP) — Two employers have announced layoffs or closures that will impact numerous people in the Triad. According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce's WARN Notice Summary for 2025, a Winston-Salem-based IBM facility and a Greensboro-based Panera Bread factory filed notice of intended layoffs in the past week. On March 21, Panera Bread filed a notice that it would be permanently closing a factory in Greensboro, impacting 80 employees. The effective date of this closure is May 21. On March 25, IBM filed that it would be performing layoffs at a Winston-Salem site, impacting 72 employees effective May 30. Employers are required by law to file WARN notices ahead of mass layoffs or facility closures. There have been other WARN notices filed in the Triad since the beginning of the year in Randolph, Davidson, Rockingham and Guilford Counties, impacting over 350 people. FOX8 has reached out to the Department of Commerce for more information about these WARN notices. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
