Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the HUD Recovery Funds topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
State recovery office proposes $4 million 'Rapid Recovery Fund' for Helene repairs
Summary
Tracy Clores of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency proposed using about $4 million of previously awarded HUD funds (from Tropical Storm Fred) as a flexible Rapid Recovery Fund to repair, elevate or replace homes and support other housing needs from Helene, subject to a HUD action-plan amendment and storm 'tieback' requirements.
Tracy Clores, Development Director with the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, asked the Haywood County Board of Commissioners to consider deploying roughly $4 million in previously awarded HUD disaster-recovery dollars to speed homeowner recovery after Tropical Storm Helene.
"We are calling this proposal the rapid recovery fund," Clores said, describing a plan to repurpose uncommitted funds that had been set aside for affordable housing development after Tropical Storm Fred. The proposed uses include single-family homeowner repairs, elevating homes above base flood elevation, replacing dwellings, small rental and other housing assistance at the county's discretion.
Clores said the county must amend its HUD action plan and run a 30-day public comment period before submitting the amendment to HUD for review; HUD may take up to 45 days to approve but has expressed willingness to expedite the request. She stressed compliance steps, such as ensuring any property assisted has documented damage from the Fred event (a required "storm tieback") and completing HUD's NEPA environmental review. Clores offered that her office can perform environmental reviews and other compliance tasks to speed implementation while keeping the county in the decision-making role.
Commissioners asked whether buyouts were allowable; Clores said buyouts are an option but noted FEMA hazard mitigation funds can also be used for buyouts and that county staff will coordinate choices so funding is used efficiently.
