Asheville staff outline $225 million CDBG-DR action plan, warn needs far exceed funds

City Community Development Manager James Shelton presented the city’s draft CDBG-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) action plan, saying the federal grant of $225,000,000 will be used to support long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene.

Shelton told the council, “These funds are intended for long term recovery,” and cautioned that the city’s initial unmet needs assessment shows roughly $1,300,000,000 in community needs, driven largely by infrastructure and economic impacts. He said the city’s preliminary breakdown shows $859,000,000 in infrastructure unmet need, $465,000,000 in economic revitalization needs and $31,000,000 in housing needs — figures Shelton described as “preliminary and they will change.”

The nut graf: The presentation framed the grant as one of several recovery resources, explained HUD program rules the city must follow, and proposed program areas (housing, infrastructure and economic revitalization) plus a mitigation set‑aside. Council members pressed staff for maps, eligibility details and how the plan would prioritize low‑ and moderate‑income (LMI) communities.

Shelton outlined how the city will move…