ReBuild NC
ReBuild NC must increase pace of home completions or risk losing federal disaster funding
ReBuild NC’s homeowner recovery program has finished only 25% of the houses damaged by Hurricane Matthews and Florence, a pace that, if uncorrected, could jeopardize its federal funding. Roughly 4,700 applicants have been approved for new or rehabbed homes, state data show. Of those, just 1,118 are finished. Robeson County’s program accounts for 201 of those […]
Senate bill targets ReBuild NC to get disaster relief program on track
Displaced Hurricane survivors could return home more quickly if a new Senate bill aimed at ReBuild NC becomes law. Under Senate Bill 438, the state’s most vulnerable homeowners would get priority under ReBuild NC’s disaster relief program for the reconstruction or rehabs of their storm-damaged homes: People over age 62 Low-income families Families with children […]
ReBuild NC defends Rescue Construction, while fining company for delays in hurricane recovery
For the third time, hurricane survivors arrived at the state legislature – some sick, others frail, and all of them tired of living in motels. For the third time, lawmakers on a government oversight committee interrogated ReBuild NC Director Laura Hogshead, responsible for mismanaging the disaster recovery program. And for the third time, little substantive came […]
Weekend reads: High schoolers take a stand against gun violence, North Carolina’s chronic public employee shortage, and NC environmental, public health groups get their day in court
In this issue: 1. Durham high school students plead with state leaders for action to combat gun violence “Thoughts and prayers” are no longer enough to protect children from gun violence, says Durham Hillside High School Principal William Logan. Gunviolence proliferates, Logan said, because guns are too readily available, and lawmakers are unwilling to pass […]
ReBuild NC’s modular home program still faltering; hurricane survivors now receiving different housing types
ReBuild NC’s highly touted modular home program, which state officials have claimed would be the fastest way to get hurricane survivors out of motels and into permanent housing, continues to falter, according to state data. Numbers provided by ReBuild NC to Policy Watch this week show that Rescue Construction Solutions has built 20 modular homes […]
Plastics, natural gas and substation attacks: environmental bills to watch this week
With Medicaid, guns and anti-LGBT legislation consuming lawmakers’ time, only a few environmental bills have been introduced this session. The pace usually picks up — a gut-and-amend bill here, an ambush provision there — so enjoy the relative quiet while you can. That said, here are several bills worth watching this week as they emerge […]
In newly created job, Richard Trumper will try to get ailing ReBuild NC disaster recovery program back on track
Richard Trumper, director of disaster recovery at the Office of State Budget and Management, will move to the NC Department of Public Safety as the senior advisor for disaster recovery, DPS announced today. He was appointed to the newly created position by DPS Secretary Eddie Buffaloe, Jr. His first day will be Feb. 1. “In […]
Shake up at ReBuild NC: Richard Trumper, who successfully managed state disaster relief, headed to beleaguered agency
This is a developing story. Richard Trumper, the director of disaster recovery at the Office of State Budget and Management, is leaving that post for a job at ReBuild NC, which is under public and legislative scrutiny for mismanaging its program. Policy Watch confirmed the change with OSBM. In a prepared statement an OSBM spokesperson […]
Frustration, disbelief and a call for resignation: Lawmakers grill hurricane recovery official at oversight hearing
Laura Hogshead did not lose her job as the head of ReBuild NC on Wednesday, as many hurricane survivors had hoped. Instead, several state lawmakers on a government oversight committee used the hearing as another opportunity to publicly berate Hogshead for the many deficiencies of the hurricane recovery program. An abysmal number of home completions and a lack of accountability. A pattern of deception and a culture of secrecy.
WRAL investigative documentary reporter Cristin Severance and NC Policy Watch investigative reporter Lisa Sorg discuss a new documentary that explores North Carolina’s troubled efforts to aid the victims of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
The WRAL documentary team investigates what happened to these hurricane victims in its latest documentary Aftermath: North Carolina Hurricane Victims Left Behind. The new documentary premieres on WRAL-TV on Tuesday, December 13, at 7:30 p.m.
The Supremes hear Moore v. Harper, Hurricane survivors demand accountability from ReBuild NC, plus more anxiety and a shortage of NC healthcare workers: The week’s top stories on Policy Watch
In this issue: 1. Leaks, mold, electrical problems, tilting floors: Some hurricane survivors discover their new homes are falling apart For privacy reasons, Policy Watch has identified the homeowners only by last name, or by their request, withheld their name altogether. Ms. Johnson’s toilet has sat, unconnected to any plumbing, in the middle of her […]