Understanding Asheville’s $225 Million
I want to provide an update on our community’s recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene and address concerns regarding the timeline and process for accessing the recently announced federal disaster recovery funds.
Federal Disaster Recovery Funding
On January 7, 2025, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a $225 million Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) direct allocation for the City of Asheville. These funds are intended to support housing recovery, infrastructure restoration, and economic revitalization.
However, this announcement signified an allocation—not an immediate release of funding to the state or Asheville. Receiving any portion of the $225 million requires us to follow a federally mandated and time-bound process before we can start recovery projects and then draw down the grant funds.
CDBG-DR Action Plan Development
To access these funds, we are required to develop and submit an Action Plan to HUD outlining how the funds will be used. This planning process must include a data-driven needs assessment, public engagement, a draft action plan, final plan submission, council approval, and HUD review before we are in the clear to start projects that will be funded by the grant.
On January 17, 2025 the city began gathering data and input from residents, businesses, and stakeholders. So far, nearly 7,000 residents have participated through surveys and community meetings. See the list of local meetings and register at publicinput.com/b82874. The public engagement period ends on February 26, 2025.
This input is shaping our Draft CDBG-DR Action Plan, which will be published for public comment on March 4 and must go through a 30-day public comment period before submission to HUD. Staff have been meeting with residents, business owners, and stakeholders across Asheville to ensure this plan reflects…
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