ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) – Public input is being welcomed by state officials for the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Action Plan, but the public comment period is limited.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocated an additional $1.4 billion in financial assistance for revitalization efforts. What that sum will be used for is up for a debate the state is asking you to join.
The public comments are to help advise the newly instituted N.C. Division of Community Revitalization which was created via an executive order by Gov. Stein on Jan. 2, 2025. The purpose of this new agency, according to the state’s commerce website, is “to oversee the rebuilding of homes destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Helene and to coordinate and lead efforts to revitalize the economy of western North Carolina.”
If you want to help inform the new agency on how to spend the grant from HUD, take this survey before Mar. 20, 2025. Your opinions may end up in the state’s Action Plan. If you cannot take the online survey, you can email helene.recovery@commerce.nc.gov.