Friday, January 10, 2020

State launches disaster recovery grant and loan programs to help local governments N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency now accepting applications

Raleigh
Jan 10, 2020

The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) has opened a second application period for grants and zero-interest loans that are available to help local governments recovering from storms that hit the state during the past few years. 

“There are many counties, cities and towns that still need financial assistance as they work to recover from the devastating storms that have hit North Carolina,” Governor Roy Cooper said. “We are committed to helping those communities rebuild smarter, stronger and more resilient so we can be better prepared for future storms.”
 
Legislation signed by Governor Cooper on Nov. 18 directs $10 million in funding to NCORR for zero-interest loans to help local governments with recovery from hurricanes Matthew, Florence and Dorian, and Tropical Storm Michael. The loans can be used for recovery-related expenses while waiting for reimbursement from various federal programs. The legislation also provides $5 million in local government grants to help communities impacted by Hurricane Dorian with expenses such as general operating support, debt service, disaster recovery capacity and other disaster recovery expenses not eligible for federal reimbursement. These new funds supplement $9 million in grant and loan funds for local governments that Governor Cooper signed into law on Sept. 19. Detailed information on both programs is available online at https://www.rebuild.nc.gov/

This is the second round of state recovery grants and loans offered by NCORR. Through a first round of funding, the agency awarded more than $22.4 million in grants and loans to 22 local governments that were struggling financially due to impacts from Hurricane Florence. The state is still awaiting notification from HUD on the availability of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding for Hurricane Florence. To date, North Carolina has spent more than $3.3 billion in state and federal funding to help survivors of hurricanes Matthew and Florence. 

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