Edwards Secures $1.65 Billion in Disaster Block Grants for WNC - TribPapers
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Edwards Secures $1.65 Billion in Disaster Block Grants for WNC

Hendersonville – Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) today announced that Western North Carolina will receive $1.65 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to help communities rebuild after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

Edwards advocated for these funds in the disaster supplemental bill that he co-sponsored and crafted as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which has been signed into law, based on numerous conversations he had with local leaders and citizens in WNC who were affected by the storm.

The $1.43 billion in CDBG-DR funds for most of WNC will be administered through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City of Asheville will receive and administer $225 million in separate CDBG-DR funds.

These are two of many federal disaster assistance funds that Edwards included in the bill, which also contains money for WNC agriculture disaster recovery, U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service recovery, and Department of Transportation funds to repair destroyed roads and bridges, making it the largest tranche of federal money to be brought back to Western North Carolina at one time.

“Every dollar in the disaster supplemental bill that I advocated for as a House Appropriations Committee member was thoughtfully included to ensure that WNC is getting the tools and resources we need in this phase of recovery. Recovering from Helene will be an ongoing process, and the CDBG-DR grant funds are another important step toward rebuilding our communities,” Edwards said. “I will continue to be a voice for North Carolina’s 11th District in the halls of Congress through every step of rebuilding our mountains.”

Some highlights of additional funding that Edwards included in the disaster supplemental bill to assist communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as other disasters in the recovery process, include the following:

The National Park Service has allocated more than $2 billion to rebuild and repair national park roads and facilities, including the Blue Ridge Parkway, while also focusing on the rehabilitation of historic structures. The Department of Agriculture is providing over $30 billion nationally to offer disaster and economic assistance for producers. Additionally, the U.S. Forest Service has set aside more than $6 billion nationally for the repair of national forest roads, facilities, and other damaged infrastructure. Furthermore, the Federal Highway Administration is dedicating over $8 billion nationally to reimburse states for highway and bridge repairs.