In the six months since Hurricane Helene struck the state, the North Carolina Department of Commerce has launched a new Division focused on recovery, developed a $1.4 billion Action Plan for rebuilding homes, paid more than $91 million in disaster-related unemployment insurance benefits, and secured a $10 million federal grant to help local workforce boards put people back to work, all in response to Governor Josh Stein’s priority to help western North Carolina recover.

“It’s all hands on deck at Commerce to help our friends and neighbors impacted by Helene to recover as quickly as possible,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley.  “We’ve delivered funds and technical support over the last six months to western North Carolina, but we are preparing to launch the state’s housing recovery program with urgency and eagerly await federal approval of our plan.  I appreciate the North Carolina General Assembly’s appropriation of state recovery funds to support Commerce’s important work.”

On Wednesday, March 26, North Carolina submitted its final Action Plan to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency (HUD), a required step for receiving federal funds from the $1.4 billion Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) award.  The state’s plan addresses unmet hurricane recovery needs with a focus on housing and economic revitalization. 

Commerce’s new Division of Community Revitalization, led by western North Carolina native Stephanie McGarrah, was created by Gov. Josh Stein to manage and implement the federal CDBG-DR grant.  Since its creation, the division’s team has been ramping up its capacity, hiring experienced professionals for leadership roles in finance, procurement, and legal affairs while following a principle to remain lean and efficient.  The division published this week a Request for Proposals seeking a private-sector partner to scale up implementation of the federal grant. The private-sector partner, under direction from division staff, will conduct outreach work, engage with applicants to the programs, review applicant eligibility, conduct damage and scoping assessments and environmental reviews, and manage construction activities, among other tasks. Interested companies have until 2:00 p.m. on April 14 to submit a proposal.

Several other Commerce divisions have taken an active role in the state’s recovery efforts.

The Division of Employment Security (DES), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance program, has provided more than $91 million in disaster-related unemployment benefits to people who lost work due to the disaster. Studies show those benefits not only support out-of-work Helene survivors meet their needs, but also are reinvested back into the economy.

DES has processed 36,530 disaster-related claims for unemployment benefits since the storm hit the state.  In addition to the standard benefits program, the division managed a supplemental federal program known as Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).  The Helene DUA program has drawn more claims than from Hurricanes Matthew, Florence and Fred combined, under similar DUA programs.

Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS), which connects people seeking jobs with employers, has deployed work teams and engaged local workforce boards to assist people affected by employment disruptions, including bringing the NCWorks Mobile Unit to several sites in the west to provide direct services to people in need.

Last October, the division secured a $10 million grant from the United States Department of Labor to provide jobs and training services in areas that were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene.  Currently available through NCWorks Career Centers in six local workforce board areas, the grant program employs eligible residents in jobs that support either clean-up and recovery from the storm’s devastation or humanitarian assistance to residents of the affected areas.

In addition, Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division and its Appalachian Regional Commission office helped secure a $3.5 million award to Mountain BizWorks to bolster the WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund. Also, the Department’s Labor & Economic Analysis Division continues to monitor and publish data on the storm’s impacts on the state’s economy.

More information about N.C. Commerce’s role in western North Carolina recovery can be found online at commerce.nc.gov/recovery.