Governor Roy Cooper today urged local governments affected by four 2016 natural disasters to apply for disaster relief funds immediately.
“Disasters struck North Carolina hard last year, from Hurricane Matthew in the east to wildfires in the west,” Cooper said. “Communities are working tirelessly to get back on their feet and we’re offering a hand to those who need it most.”
Local governments are encouraged to apply for grants from $30 million in funds available through the Disaster Recovery Grants Program, offered in partnership by the Golden LEAF Foundation and the N.C. Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division.
The funds will aid recovery from Hurricane Matthew, wildfires that affected North Carolina’s western counties, Tropical Storm Julia, and Tropical Storm Hermine. Grants will be awarded to local governments for repair, replacement, or construction of infrastructure projects like water, sewer, sidewalks, and storm damage, or similar projects.
The Disaster Recovery Grants Program was authorized in December when the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Disaster Recovery Act of 2016, which allocate funds to both the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division and the Golden LEAF Foundation. The two organizations developed a partnership to accept applications and distribute relief funds to qualifying projects.
Projects that address urgent disaster relief, disaster recovery, and community resiliency will be prioritized. Initial applications for funding are due March 3, 2017, and initial grant awards will be distributed by April 6, 2017.
For more information on eligibility and how to apply for the Disaster Recovery Grants Program, visit goldenleaf.org or nccommerce.com.
Disaster Recovery Grants Program representatives are holding meetings in Duplin, Craven, Wake, Pasquotank, and Martin Counties within the next two weeks to encourage affected local governments to apply for funding. Meetings have also been held in Henderson and Robeson Counties. More information is available from NC Commerce.