Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to North Carolina governments for Helene recovery

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina governments are receiving over $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

The money — $1.43 billion for North Carolina state government and $225 million for the city of Asheville — is from Community Development Block Grant funds. The money comes from a bill approved by Congress last month that provided more than $100 billion in relief to address Helene and other disasters, according to officials.

The funds will “help rebuild homes, develop affordable housing, assist impacted small businesses, and repair roads, schools, water treatment plants and other critical infrastructure,” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Agency Head Adrianne Todman said in a news release from new Gov. Josh Stein’s office.

Todman and Stein announced the block grants while visiting Asheville on Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who also was involved in the legislation, said in a separate release revealing the grants that it “is a crucial step in the long journey toward recovery for Western North Carolina.”

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The Asheville announcement marked the second public trip by Stein to the storm-battered region struck since he was sworn in on Jan. 1. On the first trip last Thursday, Stein announced several executive orders, including some addressing temporary housing units for displaced residents and repairs to private roads and bridges.

Another executive order from Stein last week created a new Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina that would oversee the work of the executive branch and its agencies on recovery and revitalization.

Earlier Tuesday, Stein announced top staff in the recovery office. The office director will be Matt Calabria, a veteran Wake County commissioner and the commission’s current chairman. Calabria had said last week he would be stepping down from the commission for a new job in Stein’s administration.