RALEIGH — North Carolina has received more than $198 million in federal grants to help families and communities recover from Hurricane Matthew.
Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday announced that most of the money — $159 million — will go to four counties hardest hit by the hurricane: Robeson, Cumberland, Edgecombe, and Wayne.
“Hurricane Matthew hit us hard, but North Carolinians are resilient,” Cooper said in a statement. “These funds will give families and communities resources to repair homes, rebuild streets, and get back to work.”
The money comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program. The money can be used to rehabilitate storm-damaged homes and buildings, to buy damaged properties in flood plains and relocate residents to safer areas, to provide temporary housing for people displaced by the storm, and helping businesses keep or create jobs, a statement from Cooper’s office says.
It can also be used to help communities build or rehabilitate public streets, neighborhood centers, and repair water and sewer drainage systems. It provides down payment assistance, interest rate subsidies, and loan guarantees to help disaster victims buy their own homes.
Localities can also use the money for debris removal not covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.