The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Tuesday announced the allocation of nearly $12 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for communities in 24 U.S. states and territories. These funds are intended for long-term recovery efforts for communities affected by recent natural disasters.
The announcement – made in Asheville, North Carolina, by HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman and new North Carolina Governor Josh Stein – will aim to support recovery efforts following several recent disasters. These included Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the fall of 2024, as well as the 2023 wildfires that devastated Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
“To support recovery from Hurricane Helene, HUD has allocated more than $1.6 billion to communities across North Carolina, including $225 million to the city of Asheville and $1.2 billion to the state for disaster-affected communities across the entire state,” HUD explains. “These funds are critical – with tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed, more than 12,000 Western North Carolina residents are left without safe housing.”
Earlier in the day, Stein toured the devastation in Old Fort, North Carolina, and local media had reported his scheduled appearance alongside Todman for Tuesday.
“Over the past two years, too many communities have been hit by devastating disasters – damaging homes, destroying infrastructure and increasing local capacity to recover,” Todman said. “These $12 billion in disaster recovery funds will help rebuild homes, develop affordable housing, assist affected small businesses and repair roads, schools, water treatment plants and other critical infrastructure.”
Todman added that the impact of these funds “will be felt for years to come, especially for disaster survivors and communities in the most affected areas.”
In addition to the announcement, HUD also published a new universal notice for CDBG-DR funds. The goal is to “strengthen and improve the management of CDBG-DR, incorporating feedback from beneficiaries, stakeholders, and disaster survivors,” HUD explains.
In a 2022 request for information, HUD sought public input on CDBG-DR rules, waivers, and alternative requirements, receiving more than 700 responses. The feedback has helped make disaster recovery processes faster, more efficient and effective, the department claims.
Lawmakers have also done their part. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who are working Senate appropriations committee, praised the additional funds for the help they were able to provide their states. Murray pointed specifically to Spokane County in eastern Washington, while Schatz said the funds will be a boon to Lahaina’s recovery.
The full list of states and communities receiving funds is available at HUD website.
