Rep. Robert Pittenger
UPDATE: Congressman Pittenger has confirmed that 80% of the $32 million in funding announced today must be distributed to the “most impacted counties,” which include Cumberland and Robeson.
WASHINGTON – Following a May 25th conference call with Secretary Ben Carson, Congressman Robert Pittenger (NC-09) has helped secure $32 million for Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts in North Carolina.
The $31,862,000 in Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding is the result of working with HUD to ensure the most up-to-date data was used in calculating North Carolina’s current needs. Previously, Governor Cooper reported North Carolina received only $6.1 million in funding. That number was not accurate.
“Earlier this year, Governor Cooper caused unnecessary confusion by announcing North Carolina received only $6.1 million. As we explained, that was a preliminary calculation based on outdated data, and we chose to stay focused on getting results,” said Congressman Pittenger. “For the past several months, my team has worked with HUD to ensure the most up-to-date information was used for the final calculation, which resulted in five times more money for North Carolina. This is an issue I’ve been engaged with since I-95 was still underwater, and we will see it through.”
In addition to today’s announcement, Congressman Pittenger anticipates:
*$200 million in Public Assistance from FEMA (already in process)
*$75 million in Hazard Mitigation Grants (already in process)
*An additional $200 million in CDBG-DR grants which Congressman Pittenger helped secure last December. The money will be made available once Governor Cooper receives approval for his State Action Plan.
Congressman Pittenger, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Members of the North Carolina Congressional delegation are committed to securing additional funding. House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen gave personal assurance to Congressman Pittenger for additional relief in the FY2018 Appropriations bill.
Local residents who need assistance with FEMA, HUD, USDA, or other federal agencies should contact Congressman Pittenger’s Fayetteville office at 910-303-0669.
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