Asheville Celebrates New Heights: HUD Secretary Todman, Governor Stein, and Boosted Helene Recovery Funds Unite for Community Progress

Mayor Esther Manheimer along with City Manager Debra Campbell welcomed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Adrianne Todman at the Mountain Bizworks offices in downtown Asheville, in collaboration with North Carolina Governor Josh Stein.

The Secretary and Governor engaged with City personnel, elected representatives, and local entrepreneurs to announce further federal assistance for North Carolina households recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The Biden-Harris Administration has designated an additional $225 million for the City of Asheville to help address storm-related requirements within the community, according to Todman. This funding comes via the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) and aims to tackle crucial unmet needs.

“Following months of handling the emergency response to Hurricane Helene and the initial recovery efforts, this funding is a timely and essential enhancement to our community’s capability to rebuild better,” remarked Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer.

These funds will be applicable to a variety of categories including housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, and hazard mitigation.

City staff is now tasked with creating an action plan outlining the types of programs and initiatives that will be implemented with the funds. Public participation, slated to occur before summer this year, will be a crucial component in formulating this plan. Prioritizing projects to maximize the expenditure recovery for the City will also be a significant aspect of the plan’s creation.

City Council will have the chance to offer insights and suggestions on the plan. Subsequently, the Council will ratify the plan before it is forwarded to HUD for validation. HUD mandates that the action plan be submitted no later than the summer of 2025.