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New Bern resident urges county action on stalled Rebuild NC program, says state mismanagement left thousands displaced
Summary
Resident David French urged local and state officials to intervene after years of alleged delays and mismanagement in the state's Rebuild NC program following Hurricane Florence; he said he was removed from the program and faces losing his home and storage.
David French, a New Bern resident who spoke during the petitions-of-citizens portion of the meeting, urged county officials to take action on behalf of homeowners he says have been left waiting for state-managed Rebuild NC and HUD programs following Hurricane Florence.
French described a long-running dispute with Rebuild NC, saying the program promised repairs that did not materialize and that his family home — in the New Bern historic district, he said — was subject to program requirements that the agency allegedly failed to follow. "They lied," he said of Rebuild NC's assurances to his family about FEMA and program repairs. He said he later entered the Rebuild NC program and was removed in February 2025 after public criticism, which he called illegal and fraudulent.
French told commissioners he had pursued appeals that he said had not been answered and that federal and state audits were underway: the North Carolina state auditor and a federal HUD investigation, he said, are reviewing Rebuild NC. "I am facing losing my uninhabitable flooded home, my temporary apartment, and my storage due to the failure of Rebuild NC and my elected officials to act responsibly and properly," he told the board.
French asked the county, cities and state representatives to advocate for flood survivors and urged officials to press federal leaders and HUD to intervene. He described repeated communication with state legislators and federal representatives and said he felt excluded from meetings about his own case.
Board members did not take immediate action on his request while he was speaking; French's remarks were recorded in the public-comment record for the meeting.
