DDN – The funds, $1.43 billion for the North Carolina state government and $225 million for the city of Asheville, come from Community Development Block Grants. The funds came from a law passed by Congress last month that granted more than $100 billion in aid for Helene and other disasters, according to officials.

The funds will “help rebuild homes, develop affordable housing, assist impacted small businesses, and repair roads, schools, water treatment plants, and other critical infrastructure,” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Agency Head Adrianne Todman said in a news release from the office of new Gov. Josh Stein.

Todman and Stein announced the block grants during their visit to Asheville on Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who was also involved in the legislation, said in a separate release announcing the awards that it “is a crucial step in the long journey toward recovery for Western North Carolina.”

The statement in Asheville was Stein’s second public trip to the storm-ravaged region since his inauguration on January 1. On the first trip last Thursday, Stein issued multiple executive orders, some of which addressed temporary housing units for displaced inhabitants and repairs to private roads and bridges.

Stein issued another executive order this week, establishing a new Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina to supervise the executive branch’s and its agencies’ recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Stein revealed the recovery office’s top staff earlier on Tuesday. Matt Calabria, a long-time Wake County commissioner and current chairman, will serve as the office director. Calabria said last week that he will leave the commission to take a new role in Stein’s government.

Reference: Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to North Carolina governments for Helene recovery