RALEIGH, N.C. — Nearly two months following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, Republican legislators questioned officials on the management of recovery efforts from two previous hurricanes that struck the state.
As part of a proposed $3.9 billion recovery initiative related to Hurricane Helene, Democratic Governor Roy Cooper made a plea for additional funding to complete housing projects in eastern North Carolina that are still pending from Hurricane Matthew, which occurred in 2016, and Hurricane Florence, which hit in 2018. This total request included an initial $175 million increase for the Homeowner Recovery Program to wrap up ongoing projects tied to the earlier hurricanes. On Monday, representatives from Governor Cooper’s administration subsequently raised that figure by 26%, now asking for $221 million.
In contrast, last month, the Republican-controlled Legislature allocated only $30 million towards completing recovery efforts from the earlier storms. During the recent discussions, GOP lawmakers expressed hesitation to provide additional funding, citing concerns over perceived inefficiencies in how the programs have been managed.
“We’ve given you every chance and every resource requested,” commented Republican Representative Brenden Jones during a subcommittee session in Raleigh. “If you were a business seeking a loan from my bank, I wouldn’t lend you any money based on this performance.”
According to the recovery office, while approximately 2,800 families impacted by Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Matthew have secured housing through the Homeowner Recovery Program, around 1,500 additional families who qualify are still waiting for the completion of their assistance.
“Rebuilding homes after a disaster is a complex and costly process that requires more time than simply constructing a subdivision,” explained Pryor Gibson, a legislative lobbyist from Cooper’s administration, who offered testimony during the hearing.
Without the needed funding, Laura Hogshead, the chief operating officer for Recovery and Resiliency, mentioned that halting the projects remains “an option on the table.”
Lawmakers have previously expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the recovery office and the Governor’s administration, attributing delays to various challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing construction costs, and a lack of available labor.
Tensions escalated during Monday’s hearing when Jones posed the question of whether Hogshead would resign due to the office’s performance. Hogshead declined to step down.