North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved the City of Asheville’s plan for spending $225 million in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds.
“We moved quickly because we understand how critical this funding is for our community,” said Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. “We’re grateful to HUD for their swift decision, and our entire Council is pleased with how well the Plan incorporates community feedback.
The plan, which estimates the city’s Helene-related unmet needs and describes how the funding will be used to address them, was unanimously approved for submission by the City Council, including:
- $125 million for Infrastructure
- $52 million for Economic Revitalization
- $31 million for Housing
- $11.2 million for Administration
- $3.7 million for Planning; and $2 million for Public Services
HUD will review the financial, procurement, and grant management practices to certify that the city is prepared to effectively manage the grant funds. Once certified, HUD will issue a grant agreement.
“We’re talking every day about how to use these funds effectively and efficiently in our community, including developing program area guidelines and manuals,” said Nikki Reid, Community and Economic Development Director. “Planning projects, such as the French Broad Riverfront Parks Recovery project, are being identified and programs will be rolled out as they are created. We expect the first programs to kick off this fall.”
Approval follows a months-long process of community engagement, including a recovery priorities survey in January; six public input sessions in February; and a 30-day public comment period, including three public feedback sessions, in March.
Feedback received from the community helped to shape the plan, including the reallocation of $5 million from the Infrastructure program to the Small Business Support, Affordable Multi-Family Construction, and Planning programs.