Mangled railroad tracks and damaged buildings wrought by Hurricane Helene can be seen along the French Broad River on October 3, 2024 in Marshall, North Carolina. Helene caused more than $59 billion in damages to the state. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Gov. Josh Stein is asking for public comment on a draft of the “Helene Action Recovery Plan” developed to address unmet housing and economic needs in western North Carolina.
The $1.4 billion proposed plan was published Tuesday by the state Department of Commerce’s new Division of Community Revitalization. The plan must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for approval after the plan is finalized.
The formal, 30-day comment period, which allows people to offer input on the action plan via email, online, postal letter, fax, or through a series of public meetings being scheduled this month in six western North Carolina communities, opened Tuesday. The plan is a required step for receiving federal funds from a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) award, which Governor Stein announced Jan. 7 in Asheville.
“Western North Carolina is going to build back stronger than ever, but it’s going to take work and planning,” Stein said in a statement. “I am grateful to everyone who offers constructive feedback and works with us to turn this plan into reality and spur action in the region’s economy.”
CDBG-DR grants focus on longer-term rebuilding rather than immediate needs for shelter. CDBG-DR grants address unmet needs in three core areas of recovery – housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization.
The Action Plan proposes to spend most funds on housing recovery for low- and moderate-income residents. It also proposes to allocate funds for infrastructure rebuilding and economic support, particularly for small businesses and commercial districts.
“Hearing ideas from as many stakeholders and western North Carolina partners as possible will sharpen this proposal, positioning us to succeed with the tough recovery job ahead of us,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Our team looks forward to digging into the complex details of how best to help these hard-hit communities and businesses recover.”
A damage and needs assessment published by the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) in December 2024 estimated 73,700 homes were likely to have been damaged in the storm. The estimate includes single-family homes, manufactured homes and duplexes. Cost estimates for housing impacts include an estimated $12.7 billion in residential damage.
Beyond the residential category, overall housing recovery needs approach $15.4 billion, of which OSBM estimates $9.5 billion might be covered by private and federal funding outside of HUD funds. OSBM estimates there are $5.7 billion in unmet needs for housing recovery.
Here are the options for submitting comments about the state’s proposed CDBG-DR Action Plan.
- Go online to commerce.nc.gov/recovery-comments
- Mail your comments to: North Carolina Department of Commerce, 4346 Mail Service Center Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4301, Attention: CDBG-DR Public Comment
- Fax your comments to: (919) 715-0096
- Email your comments to: helene.recovery@commerce.nc.gov
A series of in-person public hearings are scheduled for this month in six western North Carolina locations. Details of these meetings can be reviewed at the N.C. Commerce website.
More information about N.C. Commerce’s new Division of Community Revitalization and its role in the western North Carolina recovery can be found online at commerce.nc.gov/recovery.