HUD Archives: Cuomo Announces $25 Million In Disaster Relief Funds For North Carolina

HUD No. 00-168
Further Information:	For Release
In the Washington, DC area: 202/708-0685	Tuesday
Or contact your local HUD office	July 25, 2000

CUOMO ANNOUNCES $25 MILLION IN DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS FOR NORTH CAROLINA

WASHINGTON – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo today announced $25 million funding to help North Carolina for families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged during Hurricane Floyd in September 1999.

The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency will use the funds for rental assistance and for new construction and reconstruction of rental units and single-family homes.

"Nothing can ever erase all the suffering that these families had to endure in the wake of Hurricane Floyd," Cuomo said. "This funding, however, will help families in North Carolina to rebuild their homes and their lives."

Joining Cuomo on the conference call were Congressmen David Price, Mel Watt, Bob Etheridge, Mike McIntyre, Congresswoman Eva Clayton, and Deputy Executive Director of the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency Jim Quinn.

"Nine months have passed since Hurricane Floyd struck North Carolina," Sen. John Edwards said. "The people of Eastern North Carolina are still struggling to rebuild, but we are making progress. I am particularly pleased to see that North Carolina will be getting money specifically targeted to help renters and encourage homeownership."

"Getting people back into safe affordable homes is our number one priority," said Gov. Jim Hunt. "This announcement takes us that much closer to reaching our goal and I am deeply appreciative of the N.C. Congressional Delegation for all their efforts to help the state recover from the worst natural disaster in it's history."

"The announcement today by Secretary Cuomo of $25 million in emergency housing assistance funding to our state is welcome indeed," said Rep. Clayton. Almost a year after the floods swept through Eastern North Carolina, many remain without housing, many remain in a state of virtual homelessness, many remain without hope. These funds will help to house some of those persons, but more importantly, these funds will help to give hope."

The counties eligible for the funding in North Carolina are: Alamance, Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Fosyth, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Wilson.

North Carolina was hit by several hurricanes in 1999 that caused an estimated $6 billion in damage. The most severe damage was caused by Hurricane Floyd, a September storm that damaged about 56,000 homes and left another 24,000 destroyed or uninhabitable.

In addition to the funding announced today, HUD, under Cuomo’s leadership, accelerated $34 million in Community Development Block Grant funds and $12 million in HOME Partnership Funds. In addition, certain waivers were granted to North Carolina that provided greater flexibility in responding to the homeowner needs.

HUD staffed eight Federal Emergency Management Agency intake centers to assist with processing the victims of Hurricane Floyd and provided assistance with development of a housing counseling program and placed a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of FHA-insured homes. HUD also provided about 80 single-family homes to FEMA for use in North Carolina.

In January 2000, Cuomo established a temporary HUD office to assist with the response to victims of Hurricane Floyd. The HUD Tarboro staff provided expertise in programming. , investment and commercial banking, housing, land development, and local government and legislative liaison. The work of the Tarboro office is detailed below.

PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING

Established a Public Housing Task Force for the public housing executive directors in North Carolina
HUD public housing experts provided significant technical assistance to the public housing authorities in Princeville, Rocky Mount, and Tarboro. This assistance included discussing available grants under the SuperNOFA, entertaining a draft proposal on housing vouchers, and assistance with processing grant applications.
HUD’s Tarboro and Greensboro offices established a mentor relationship, under contract, between the Rocky Mount PHA and the Princeville PHA.
HUD offices in North Carolina resolved a FEMA/HUD issue that arose for Princeville’s demolition of Pioneer Court that provided 50 units of public housing for lower income residents. FEMA wanted to demolish Pioneer Court because, as it was destroyed and unoccupied, it presented a potential risk to the community. HUD worked to get the building condemned and speed up the demolition procedure.
HUD expedited nearly $12 million in funds that were for public housing units in North Carolina.

MULTIFAMILY HOUSING

For insured multifamily housing units that were damaged by the flooding, particularly those that were uninsured, HUD provided access to its engineering staff, when necessary, such as when a new design was to be developed. Uninsured projects required extensive management. This included making certain that the same communities that had been served, continued to be served, offering advice on financing options within HUD, and making proposals for resolution to the Assistant Secretary for Housing.
HUD highlighted fair housing issues that arose.

COMMUNITY BUILDERS AND COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Over 200 families have sought and received counseling assistance from the HUD Tarboro office.
HUD Community Builders help prepare and review the Twin Counties Recovery Plan (Edgecombe County and Nash County communities). They reviewed and provided technical assistance regarding the City of Greenville Plan and the Kinston / Lenoir County Plan for recovery.
Technical assistance was also provided to other local units of government, community development corporations, and non-profit entities on various funding opportunities within the SuperNOFAs.
The Tarboro Office provided technical assistance to novice and experienced developers that were interested in assisting in the rebuilding efforts.

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