
Following his announcement on Friday of a $30 million small business grant program for small businesses in western North Carolina struggling to recover after Hurricane Helene, Democrat Gov. Josh Stein requested $1.07 billion in immediate funding from the General Assembly on Monday to support urgent rebuilding needs in that part of the state.
He announced his request at a press conference at MANNA Food Bank, which works with over 300 community-based nonprofit food assistance partner agencies in 16 western North Carolina counties.
Stein said in a press release that the funds would be used to strengthen the economy, get people back into homes faster, repair infrastructure, support farmers, fix private roads and bridges, remove debris, and help school children stay at grade level.
“The people of western North Carolina have suffered tremendously since Helene swept through,” he said. “I appreciate what the General Assembly has done so far, but it’s time for us to step up and get them the money they need right now to rebuild. We can’t forget western North Carolina – and I will do everything in my power to ensure that the state shows up for them.”
Stein said they don’t want to wait for the budget to be finalized in June or July to get this requested money out the door for immediate needs.
He said while it is too early to understand the full economic impact of Hurricane Helene, hotels like those in Buncombe County can give an indication. Hotel sales were down 74% in October and 57% in November compared to the year before.
“What we know is that after a major disaster, 43% of small businesses never reopen,” Stein said during the press conference. “We do not want that here in western North Carolina, and we can take action to prevent that.”
The budget request falls under different categories. They include the following:
Strengthening the Economy:
- $150 million across two grant programs for businesses that suffered physical damage or significant economic loss.
- $30 million for grants to small towns and counties to rebuild downtowns and other business districts.
Providing Safe and Warm Places to Live:
- $150 million for a Helene Home Construction and Repair Program to immediately start rebuilding the estimated 5,100 homes that will need to be rebuilt post-Helene.
- $25 million to support people struggling to afford rent, mortgage, or utility costs because their home or livelihood was affected.
Repairing Infrastructure:
- $75 million to repair private roads and bridges.
- $10 million to provide backup power for emergency operations and other critical infrastructure.
Supporting Farmers:
- $15 million for grants to farmers for verified uninsured losses to crops, livestock, aquaculture, and infrastructure.
- $100 million to help farmers clear debris and repair their land and waterways so they can resume production and protect against future flooding.
- $19.4 million to prepare for the wildfire season and mitigate future risk.
Caring for Families and Children
- $34.2 million for school districts that missed 15 or more days of school to provide summer instruction and other support services to ensure students continue to perform at grade level on End of Grade and End of Course assessments.
- $20 million to fund food banks in affected areas.
- $2 million to help college students who are struggling to pay tuition, fees, or emergency expenses that might force them to drop out of school at UNC Asheville, Appalachian State University, and Western Carolina University.
Full request details can be found here.
Matt Calabria, director of the newly formed Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), also spoke at today’s press conference.
Stein created GROW NC to focus on recovery efforts instead of having the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) take on more work.
“The governor has identified four key pillars that guide our work: urgency, focus, accountability, and transparency,” Calabria said. “We must engage in recovery efforts with speed, with precision, and with a plan, and so it’s unsurprising to see that this package is being brought forward just one month into the governor’s administration.”
He further stated that GROW NC will play a role in the stewardship of the funds, and the agency will maintain its principles of urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability to ensure that the dollars are used to meet key success measures.
Last Wednesday, state officials, including Calabria, clashed with legislators during a committee meeting regarding the current need for temporary housing in western North Carolina.
The post Stein requests over $1 billion from the General Assembly for urgent rebuilding needs in WNC first appeared on Carolina Journal.
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