Laura Hogshead (bottom left), now the former director of ReBuild NC, and Pryor Gibson (bottom right), advisor to Gov. Roy Cooper, testify in front of lawmakers about North Carolina’s hurricane recovery housebuilding program on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)
Top House Republicans are moving to send a final bundle of money to the long struggling ReBuild NC program, as officials aim to finish post-hurricane homebuilding efforts in eastern North Carolina that have taken almost a decade.
Rep. Brendan Jones (R-Columbus) filed a bill Tuesday to send $217 million to the agency — fulfilling their request to help finish homes for those impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Matthew. Jones serves as the House Majority Leader and a co-chair of the committee investigating the agency.
“No more excuses,” Jones wrote on social media. “Just results.”
ReBuild NC (or NCORR), established by former Gov. Roy Cooper, has for years faced mismanagement and financial troubles, as previously reported by NC Newsline and Inside Climate News.
In November, officials revealed the agency had run up a $221 million deficit. And in late January, its leader told lawmakers that unless they provided permanent funding to finish work, they would likely lose key contractors.
The agency has become a top source of frustration for Republicans, who continue to scrutinize the agency. Further scrutiny is built into Jones’ bill: the agency must regularly submit reports detailing all expenses and documentation. And officials must keep must State Auditor Dave Boliek, a Republican, apprised of spending.
Jones’ bill is titled “an act to enact the Close Out Operations Provide Emergency Relief Act” — or the C.O.O.P.E.R. Act, in reference to the former governor.
“I anticipate us sending some additional funds for NCORR to complete its work,” House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) told reporters Tuesday evening. “We know the problem’s got to be solved there.”