Tillis announces $1.65 billion in grants on the way to WNC communities devastated by Helene

Some much needed relief is on the way for those devastated in western North Carolina by Hurricane Helene in late September. North Carolina Republican US Sen. Thom Tillis announced Tuesday that $1.65 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds have been secured to help rebuild communities devastated by the hurricane. 

The funding comes directly from a bipartisan $100 billion supplemental disaster bill passed on Dec. 21, which he also worked with his congressional colleagues to pass. Tillis also secured several key provisions in the legislation, including mandates to deliver federal assistance to Western North Carolina.

“This initial grant for communities devastated by Hurricane Helene is a crucial step in the long journey toward recovery for Western North Carolina,” Tillis said in a press release. “I am proud to have worked alongside my colleagues to bring this essential aid to those who need it most. These funds, part of the $100 billion disaster supplemental bill, will deliver critical relief to the hardest-hit areas as we continue our efforts to restore and rebuild Western North Carolina.”

$1.65B in disaster recovery funds are on the way to help rebuild communities hit by Hurricane Helene. This critical aid I worked to secure will support recovery in Western North Carolina. It is imperative that Governor Stein and the General Assembly work to replace NCORR, a…

— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) January 7, 2025

He continued by saying that it is imperative that North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein and the North Carolina General Assembly, controlled by Republicans, work to replace the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR).

“A debacle of an agency that mismanaged billions of federal dollars for the Matthew and Florence recovery and has left thousands of North Carolinians without homes,” Tillis added. “We have to get this right.”

On his first day in office, Stein announced five executive orders to aid in the recovery of western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, while also revealing intentions to not include the Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) in future recovery plans for western North Carolina.

One of those orders establishes a new office, the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), headed by the governor, dedicated to coordinating an all-of-state-government approach to responding to the emergency. The order also establishes the Division of Community Revitalization within the Department of Commerce to address long-term housing construction and other community needs. 

Reporters asked Stein if the NCORR will be tasked with additional work in western North Carolina, something many have questioned amid its $221 million deficit. 

“No, NCORR has an important job to do, which is to finish its work in eastern North Carolina,” responded Stein. “We are not going to distract them from that job. They have mission one. We have this other group that we’re creating in the Department of Commerce, the Division of Community Revitalization, that is going to be focused on the long-term rebuilding here in western North Carolina.”

The $1.65 billion in CDBG-DR funds will be administered through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

Provisions secured by Tillis in the $100 billion disaster supplemental include:

• Requiring HUD to issue a Federal Register notice by January 15, 2025, of enactment for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery so funding can flow to North Carolina more quickly. Federal Register notices have often taken 12-24 months after previous authorizations.
• Replenishing funding for the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster loan program to help homeowners and small business owners rebuild, which Tillis has been pushing since funding expired. There are currently 2,338 applicants waiting for their applications to be processed, totaling $172 million.

Both Tillis and fellow North Carolina Republican US Sen. Ted Budd have been pushing for legislation to help those affected by Helene in western North Carolina.

The post Tillis announces $1.65 billion in grants on the way to WNC communities devastated by Helene first appeared on Carolina Journal.