SWANNANOA N.C. (WLOS) — More than 300 western North Carolina property owners are stuck in limbo on a stalled federal program to buy flooded properties from Helene, according to the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (Grow NC) director, Matt Calabria.
Grow NC’s director, Calabria, focusing on western North Carolina’s Helene recovery, spoke at length about the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. He said federal officials have assured approximately $1.6 billion will be there to fund the program, but not a single owner has been bought out. That includes groups of applications submitted in February still in Federal Emergency Management Agency offices for official approval.
Calabria said FEMA and federal officials have told state staff that a “lock-in” letter confirming the portion of funds for the buyout program will arrive at state offices any day…