(The Center Square) – Interest-free loans for Hurricane Helene relief have begun to flow, the North Carolina treasurer says.
Buncombe County ($8.4 million), Chimney Rock Village ($7.7 million) and the city of Morganton ($5.4 million) were the three largest. Twenty governments were awarded more than $1 million.
The first round is being delivered from the $100 million program that was part of legislation passed in December by the Republican-majority General Assembly. Republican Treasurer Brad Briner said more than $73 million in loans to 98 local government entities were approved through Friday.
“We had a big goal on a short deadline, and we are excited to announce that help is on the way,” Briner said in a release. “Jeff Poley and his team worked relentlessly to create the program from the bottom up, recognizing, as we all did, that the residents of western North Carolina needed rapid resources to restore upended lives and rebuild neighborhoods.”
Poley is director of the department’s Disaster Services and Rural Economic Development.
Briner’s release said winter storm closures have hindered some documentation being completed. An extended deadline is helping the situation, Briner and Poley said.
Local governments qualify through damage assessments made to the state Department of Emergency Management. Local governments impacted must vote to approve acceptance of the interest-free loans. School districts making requests are routed through county government.