NC Disaster Funds Allocated to Housing, Not Home Repairs
North Carolina faces criticism over allocation of disaster relief funds to affordable housing over home repairs for survivors.
2 min read
As North Carolina continues to grapple with the aftermath of historic natural disasters, the state’s disaster relief efforts have come under scrutiny. Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Roy Cooper, a former governor, is facing renewed criticism for his administration’s allocation of funds. A recent report revealed that over $100 million was directed toward low-income housing projects, while hurricane survivors waited years for home repairs.
Disaster Relief and Housing Projects
The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) supported income-restricted rental developments that did not require tenants to have survived Hurricane Matthew or Hurricane Florence. An analysis by the John Locke Foundation identified $107.9 million allocated to affordable rental housing, including $64.2 million in disaster recovery funds and $43.7 million in mitigation funds.
One such project was Starway Village in Wilmington, a 278-unit development awarded $9 million by NCORR in 2022. State officials said the apartments would serve households earning up to 60% of the area’s median income. The $9 million was the agency’s contribution, not the development’s total construction cost. Additional funding came from local governments and the American Rescue Plan.
Homeowner Recovery Program Criticisms
The investments have drawn criticism against the backdrop of failures in the separate Homeowner Recovery Program. A November 2025 state audit found the program had received 11,654 applications and completed 3,522 projects as of April 2025. Grant determinations averaged 936 days, with some families spending over 1,400 days in temporary housing.
Auditors identified poor budgeting, unreliable data, and inadequate vendor oversight. These failures required $297 million in additional state funding to keep recovery work moving. Only one of six program administration contracts included key performance indicators, and some payments were made without full verification of completed work.
Impact on Families and Recovery
The delays have had serious consequences beyond the state’s balance sheet. WHQR reported in February 2025 that more than 500 families were still waiting for repairs or reconstruction to begin, while roughly 500 others remained in temporary housing awaiting completed homes. Its reporting described residents living with damaged ceilings, deteriorating floors, and persistent leaks.
Rebuild NC now says it helped 4,242 eastern North Carolina families return to safer homes before closing operations Sept. 30, 2026.
NCORR’s Defense and Questions Remain
NCORR defended the investments to the New York Post, stating it worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assess needs and comply with federal requirements. The agency argued that hurricanes damaged rental housing as well as owner-occupied homes, making housing availability part of community recovery.
Questions remain about the priorities of Cooper’s administration in doling out funds for subsidized housing developments over delivering promised repairs to identified disaster survivors.
Source: PJ Media
