North Carolina’s new governor issues orders on private road repairs, housing after Helen

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s new Gov. Josh Stein on Thursday took several actions to help the short- and long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene, with an immediate focus on more temporary housing and repairing private bridges and roads.

Stein, who took the oath of office on Wednesday to succeed fellow Democrat Roy Cooper, traveled to Asheville and — with legislators and officials from both parties behind him — announced that he had responded to the historic flooding in late September in the western North Five related executive orders have been signed. Carolina.

“The needs in this area are enormous and require immediate attention,” Stein said at a news conference. “I pledge to do everything in my power as Governor to accelerate the rebuilding of a more resilient region for the long term.”

Helene caused more than 100 deaths in North Carolina, causing state officials to estimate a record $59.6 billion in damage and recovery needs. Billions of dollars have already been spent or earmarked for recovery by federal and state governments, and Congress last month pledged at least $9 billion in additional aid. But more efforts must be made to keep more people in warm and safe housing on their property this winter and to restore vital transportation links between small communities as well as first responders and school buses, Stein said.

An executive order allows the state Department of Public Safety to purchase up to 1,000 temporary housing units through the end of next month without going through normal state purchasing and bidding processes. Stein said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is covering the cost of these units. FEMA is already following another regulatory process as it installs similar trailers itself, he said.

Stein also assigned the Emergency Management Division the ability to hire repair contractors for private bridges and roads without procurement requirements. It also allows environmental regulators to relax rules to speed up permitting and inspections.

Stein’s orders stated that more than 12,000 western North Carolinians were displaced from their homes due to Helene, which also caused significant damage to more than 8,000 private roads and bridges.

“When I have met affected people here in the mountains, the need for housing assistance and repair of private bridges and roads has come up in almost every conversation,” he said. “Western North Carolina – I want you to know I hear you.”

Another order from Stein creates a new Governor’s Recovery Office for western North Carolina and establishes a Division of Community Revitalization within the Commerce Department that will oversee the rebuilding of homes partially destroyed or damaged by Helen.

The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, which was created during Cooper’s administration, will remain focused on rebuilding homes in eastern North Carolina damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018, Stein said. Republicans in charge of the General Assembly are angry at the pace of the agency’s work and the lack of funding for ongoing housing projects.

Stein also issued an order giving many state employees more paid time off to volunteer for Helen-related recovery efforts this year, and he agreed to continue the Helen Recovery Advisory Committee, which he chaired. Made after victory in November elections. GOP state Senator Kevin Corbin, who co-chairs the panel with Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, said Thursday that Stein’s actions were a “bipartisan common sense solution.”

New state Auditor Dave Boliek, also a Republican, issued a statement later Thursday telling Stein that his department will hold Stein’s office accountable for how the money from the orders is spent.

“Given past failures to effectively provide hurricane relief in eastern North Carolina, it is in the best interest of Hurricane Helene victims that our office takes such action,” Bolick said.