Governor Stein Shares Plan to Support Western North Carolina’s Long Term Economic Growth
NORTH CAROLINA, September 26 - Today in Chimney Rock, Governor Stein met with local business owners and shared the new Western North Carolina Economic Recovery Plan, a framework to rebuild and grow the region’s economy. Last year, Chimney Rock received a $5.5 million grant from the state to rebuild its downtown and reopen small businesses. Now Governor Stein continues to advocate for a $10 billion appropriation from Congress to support the next phase of recovery, including $1.5 billion to support economic recovery.
“Western North Carolinians got to work rebuilding the moment Helene passed, and they know best how to keep moving forward,” said Governor Josh Stein. “That is why this long-term economic recovery plan takes the priorities the region set for itself and puts the state’s weight behind them. Together, we can build an economy that’s stronger and more diverse than the one the storm hit – because that is what a full recovery requires.”
“Western North Carolina has made tremendous progress in rebuilding after Helene, but there’s much more to do to restore transportation infrastructure, rebuild water systems, and get survivors back into safe housing,” said Matt Calabria, Director of GROW NC. “This economic plan is an essential part of the recovery and will ensure that we continue recovering in an integrated, holistic way."
“Western North Carolina has never lacked plans or ideas,” said Sharon Decker, GROW NC’s Senior Advisor for Long-Term Recovery. “What we’ve lacked is one place where the region’s own priorities line up with the money to back them and the people who can act on them. That’s what this plan gives western North Carolinians, and it’s why we didn’t write it in Raleigh. Counties, chambers, community colleges, business owners, and councils of government built it, and the work now belongs to them.”
The Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC)’s long-term Western North Carolina Economic Recovery Plan identifies the catalysts for a long-term, diversified economic recovery. This includes:
- Strengthening the workforce,
- Expanding connectivity via rail, air, and highway,
- Promoting tourism and the region’s craft economy and outdoor recreation opportunities,
- Growing local agriculture and food processing, and
- Supporting local leadership.
The plan was built with input from 28 counties, the Qualla Boundary, five regional councils of government, chambers of commerce, and economic development organizations. Click here to read the Western North Carolina Economic Recovery Plan.
Western North Carolina is already executing on part of the plan. Governor Stein knows that investing in North Carolina’s advanced manufacturing workforce is essential to diversifying and strengthening the regional economy. The Governor recently celebrated $34.2 million in grants from the US Economic Development Administration to expand economic opportunity, including the construction of the Futures Factory, a new 70,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing workforce and innovation hub in Buncombe County.
Governor Stein has also supported the Good Jobs WNC program, a partnership between 11 community colleges to connect 1,200 people to good jobs with good wages that can support a family. This week, Governor Stein celebrated more than $3 million in philanthropic commitments to Good Jobs Western North Carolina, an initiative led by the JM Belk Endowment focused on supporting the 11 Helene-impacted community colleges in building and launching apprenticeship programs to connect western North Carolinians with good jobs with good wages.
Governor Stein has not let up in his commitment to help the people of western North Carolina rebuild two years since Hurricane Helene struck the region. As of July, the Department of Environmental Quality has awarded $1 billion to strengthen water infrastructure and resilience in western North Carolina. Since Hurricane Helene struck, 99% of all drinking water systems damaged by the storm have been fully restored, but more than $758 million in unmet federal needs remain to fully repair water systems and make them more resilient to future storms. More than 99% of roads closed or impacted by Hurricane Helene are now reopened, and more than $105 million in grants and loans have been awarded to nearly 3,000 small businesses to retain nearly 15,000 jobs across the region. Just this month, through RenewNC’s multi-family program, Governor Stein announced 828 new affordable rental housing units in the west – the single biggest expansion of affordable housing in history in the counties most impacted by Helene. Click here to read more about how Governor Stein and his administration are working to rebuild western North Carolina for the long haul.
As the state stays focused on recovery, Governor Stein continues to call on the federal government to recommit to western North Carolina’s recovery with a new $10 billion appropriation that would support small businesses and local governments, restore dams and streambanks, rebuild private roads and bridges, and repairing federal highways. Click here to read more about Governor Stein’s federal request.
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