State officials on Monday pressed the federal government for answers on why a key Helene recovery program is at a standstill. The delay is leaving hundreds of Western North Carolina residents in limbo.
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It allows property owners in certain flood-prone areas to sell their home or business to the government and relocate to safer ground; property owners can also apply to have their homes elevated or structurally reinforced if they meet certain requirements.
The program came up during a meeting led by the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina, or GROW NC.
Gov. Josh Stein (D) said more than 300 homeowners have submitted applications to the program, some dating as far back as February.
“And yet not a single homeowner application has been approved,” Stein said. “It is absolutely unacceptable. My team and I are asking FEMA, ‘What is the hold-up?’ We’re working hard to get some answers.”
Matt Calabria, director of the governor’s recovery office, said as much as $1.6 billion in funding is at stake — the largest such award in state history. The delay appears to be nationwide, he said.
“We have a lot of families that are being held in limbo, who can’t move on with their lives until they get this funding so that they can reestablish themselves in a new home,” Calabria said.
A North Carolina FEMA spokesperson directed questions about the program to FEMA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. In reply to an email seeking comment, FEMA’s headquarters sent BPR an automated message stating that its response may be delayed due to the federal government shutdown.
Other takeaways from Monday’s GROW NC meeting:
- So far, only about 11% of the total $60 billion in damage caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina has been covered by federal aid. (The chart below, which indicates 9%, is slightly out of date, Calabria said.) Other states and territories hit by hurricanes over the past 20 years have seen anywhere from 20% to 78% of the total damage covered by federal funds. The process, of course, takes years in most cases. Still, if North Carolina receives all of the federal funding that has been appropriated so far, that will equal 27% – emphasizing the need for further appropriations, Calabria said.
- The federal government shutdown has delayed some disaster-related reimbursements, including the Dislocated Worker Grant Program. FEMA Disaster Relief Fund programs are exempt from the shutdown, although delays are still possible. The impact of potential federal layoffs remains to be seen.
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced an additional $1.15 billion in emergency relief funding, bringing the total to nearly $2 billion. That’s still only a fraction of the estimated $9 billion in damage to transportation and infrastructure caused by Helene.
- The Renew NC single-family housing repair program has received more than 4,000 applications so far. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2025. You can find more details online and apply here.
