Gov. Josh Stein seeks $13.5 billion in federal aid as NC nears Helene anniversary

Briah Lumpkins, The Charlotte Observer on Sep 15, 2025

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In a Monday press conference, Gov. Josh Stein requested an additional $13.5 billion from the federal government to help aid in recovery as Western North Carolina approaches the one-year anniversary of Helene.

This new request would go toward housing, small businesses, loans for local governments and building roads to last. Big-ticket items include:

•$8 billion in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery grants from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development.

•$400 million in forgivable loans from the Small Business Administration.

•$2 billion in community disaster loans from the Federal Emergency Management Agency

•$2 billion from Congress to build stronger roads.

Compared to similar disasters, federal assistance to Western North Carolina is falling behind, Stein said. As of Monday, the federal government has funded only 9% of the $60 billion in damage that the state incurred last September, he said.

“We are grateful for every federal dollar that we have received because it brings us closer to recovery, but we need more help,” Stein said. “The next stage of recovery is going to require a new commitment from Congress and from the administration to not forget the people of Western North Carolina.”

This funding request from Stein follows a series of calls by the Democratic governor for assistance from Republican leaders in Washington. Earlier this summer, Stein sent two letters to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pleading with her to sign off on already approved funds needed for Helene recovery. In Washington, Republican Sen. Ted Budd threatened to hold up Donald Trump nominees over the delays.

On Monday, Budd’s office announced that the Department of Homeland Security disbursed more than $64 million. The FEMA public assistance grant money will reimburse, for example, the town of Marshall for repairing its town hall building and the North Carolina Department of Transportation for rebuilding roads and bridges.

A February request to Congress for a $11.6 billion Helene relief package has remained unfunded.

Last month, Stein criticized the federal government for its slow Helene response and contended its response in North Carolina has not “met the moment.”

During Monday’s press conference, Stein said North Carolina is still waiting on $6 billion that was appropriated to North Carolina by Congress last December through the American Relief Act of 2025. There’s also $1.6 billion in community development block grant funds that North Carolina has been awarded, but not yet received, Stein said.

Stein said new federal bureaucratic reviews have slowed down the disbursement of needed FEMA funding for local governments.

The Charlotte Observer previously reported that the Trump administration’s stated desire to eliminate waste and fraud from the federal government has added new steps to an already slow process.

Projects now must go through two additional approval layers: Noem and the Department of Government Efficiency. These additional approvals have slowed funds – already greenlighted by FEMA – for months.

“I think everyone up here will say that their experience with FEMA generally was positive. It played a constructive role in the immediate response and then the starting of the recovery process,” he said. “But it is too slow, and it can be restructured, it can be reformed, it can be improved, so that the funds come quicker.”

Stein was joined by members of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Western North Carolina Recovery. Asheville’s mayor, Esther Manheimer, co-chair of the committee, spoke about the impact of slow reimbursement.

“I know there’s a lot of staff here from cities and counties. How much time it’s taking out of our lives every day just to fight to be reimbursed for the funds that have already been allocated by Congress,” she said. “We need to do other important recovery work rather than continuing to advocate for these vital reimbursements. I am grateful for the reimbursements that have come through, but the lag time makes it that much harder for us to do our jobs.”

Stein will be headed to Washington, D.C., this week to help further his request to federal partners. Members of the Western North Carolina Recovery and Resilience Partnership – a group of mayors and county leaders from communities hardest hit by Helene – will also be in Washington this week to discuss recovery needs.

As the state approaches the one-year anniversary of Helene, Stein emphasized the importance of federal support.

“The people of Western North Carolina are not asking for a handout. They’re asking for a hand up to get back on their feet,” he said. “Recovery is a team sport. The state has been putting in money and effort and one year after this terrible tragedy, it is time for our federal government to meet the needs of the people of Western North Carolina.”