Gov. Josh Stein (right) inspects a trailer on a recent visit to western North Carolina. (Photo courtesy of the governor’s office.)
Gov. Josh Stein is asking President Donald Trump and Congress for another $19 billion to fund Hurricane Helene recovery in western North Carolina.
Stein’s request, delivered to the White House and Capitol Hill on Thursday, comes during what he called a “critical moment on our path to recovery.” It asks for money to help rebuild homes, restore infrastructure, keep businesses open and protect local governments in the mountains.
“As North Carolinians now face the prospect of rebuilding their homes, businesses, and communities, many are struggling to secure the necessary resources,” Stein wrote.
Stein, a Democrat, met with North Carolina’s Republican U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd on Thursday.
State lawmakers are considering a new package of $500 million in state aid. But officials have repeatedly said that without robust action from Washington, western North Carolina will struggle to make a full recovery.
But the latest request from Stein, as well as the state’s recovery efforts more broadly, could be complicated by reported job cuts coming down the line to a key federal agency.
The Trump administration plans to drastically cut staff within a sector of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, The New York Times reported Thursday. The office paying to rebuild homes after disasters, which has over 900 employees, could be cut to 150.
North Carolina is relying on a major block of funding from that very agency. In a document submitted to HUD earlier this week, the state outlined its plan to spend $1.4 billion in money distributed by the office in question.
That plan remains in flux, however — North Carolina officials expect guidelines on spending to change under the new administration. And the federal template the state used to construct its plan was deleted from HUD’s website as it was being drafted. No new version of the template has been posted.
Any new spending for disaster relief will have to come through Congress, as it approaches a mid-March deadline to fund the government. As with prior federal spending bills, any new aid would likely be included in that deal.