Brianna Kramer
Carolina Journal
As the Governmental Operations Subcommittee on Hurricane Response and Recovery probed officials working to rebuild with the Governor’s Recovery Office of Western North Carolina, legislators expressed doubt over leaders’ plans to quickly and efficiently aid hurricane victims.
“You’re inheriting a hornet’s nest,” Rep. Brenden Jones, R-Iredell, told Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Stephanie McGarrah of the Division of Community Revitalization and GROW NC Advisor Jonathan Krebs on Hurricane Helene. “You didn’t do it. You’ve got to fix it. Tell us how we can go about helping you fix it.”
McGarrah listed several concerns including a lack of good data showing where all the houses are that have been damaged or destroyed. She said the first thing anybody should do in any situation is define the problem, but admitted they are struggling to define the problem because of the data, or lack thereof, from agencies like FEMA and SBA.
Jones asked if there were any concrete deadlines that they can look to in order to hold leaders accountable in the rebuilding process. McGarrah said that while they have six years from the date of the grant agreement, she would like to see it happen faster, though there is not yet a timeline.
“It’ll be six years from the day of the grant agreement. I’m happy to agree to an earlier date. I think that’s too long,” said McGarrah. “But I also know from managing grants that you run into problems.”
She pointed to an array of longer problems that arise like people who don’t own their property, haven’t paid their property taxes, or their septic system washed away. McGarrah said she’s happy to set reasonable deadlines with the General Assembly once they sort out information like how many houses they can access and resolve quickly.
“We still have a lot of things that we have to work out,” McGarrah added. “I think if we can figure out how many houses we have that we can get to, that we think are going to resolve quickly, then I think we can set reasonable deadlines. And I’m happy for you to say, ‘these are the deadlines. Come back and tell us where we are.’ And I’m happy to have individual conversations about it. And you know, I don’t do that, then yes, hold me accountable.”
Out of $1.4 billion allocated to the state for Helene relief from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $807 million is for owner-occupied unit reconstruction and rehabilitation. An action plan outlines the main plans, like providing grants for reconstruction, funding construction of units for purchase by low- and moderate-income households, and small rental and multifamily construction program.
However, legislators criticized the plan to build up new apartment units instead of replacing homes that were destroyed.
“This is new construction. These are things that were not there before the storm,” said Rep. Mark Pless, R-Haywood. “You need to go back and look at how you’re going to be people in the houses that were affected by this, not build apartment buildings and workforce housing on a grant that’s supposed to help people that their lives were devastated.”
As the meeting progressed legislators revealed their fading optimism in the current track.
“We are approaching six months since this storm ripped through the mountains, and I sit through these meetings, and I feel like this is the first storm that has ever hit North Carolina,” said Sen. Tim Moffitt, R-Henderson. “I really feel like that we are pioneering new ground when, in fact, the folks in the eastern part of the state have lived through this routinely, time and time and time again… I just feel like, when I leave here today, that we’re on our own, that my confidence level is just not there.”
State legislators urged Stein’s officials to clearly communicate their needs so the General Assembly can leverage its power to aid in recovery efforts. Krebs explained several challenges they face, such as heirship properties, which can cause property ownership disputes. He also suggested legislative approval of an affidavit that would allow for swift action in disaster situations, enabling those with ownership claims to sign and provide necessary documents, such as tax and utility bills, to expedite recovery for homes, roads, and bridges.
Jones called for regular updates on accountability, requesting weekly or bi-weekly reports to ensure their team receives the necessary support before June.
The urgency for transparency and accountability in the disaster recovery process comes as the state office NCORR has faced ongoing scrutiny for its role in aiding victims of Hurricanes Florence and Matthew nearly a decade ago. The General Assembly has introduced the COOPER Accountability Act (House Bill 222), aimed at closing out NCORR with a final $217 million allottment.
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