South Raleigh News

Today, Governor Josh Stein took decisive action by signing five executive orders aimed at providing relief to the residents of western North Carolina. These measures are designed to address the urgent need for temporary housing and the repair of private roads and bridges in the region.

Currently, many homes have been damaged or destroyed, leaving over 12,000 residents without safe housing. Additionally, approximately 8,000 private roads and bridges require repairs or replacement to restore access to essential services such as emergency response and school transportation.

"Winter is here in western North Carolina, and we must act quickly to get people in temporary housing, repair private roads and bridges, and keep people safe," said Governor Josh Stein. "I will do everything in my power to make sure we are both thinking creatively and acting swiftly to help our neighbors recover."

The first two executive orders signed by Governor Stein received concurrence from the Council of State. These orders temporarily waive procurement regulations to boost the supply of temporary housing in western North Carolina and expedite the repair of private roads and bridges necessary for accessing homes.

Three additional executive orders include:

- Reorganizing the Executive Branch to establish the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), a dedicated recovery office within the office of the Governor. This also involves creating a Division of Community Revitalization within the Department of Commerce to address housing needs and community resilience.

- Establishing a Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery to provide guidance to GROW NC for meeting community needs efficiently.

- Directing the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources to authorize an extra 16 hours of Community Service Leave for state employees who volunteer for organized storm-related efforts.

The executive orders signed by Governor Josh Stein are as follows:

- Executive Order No. 1: Increasing Temporary Housing Supply in Western NC

- Executive Order No. 2: Repairing Roads and Bridges

- Executive Order No. 3: Reorganizing Executive Branch to Meet Needs of Western NC

- Executive Order No. 4: Establishing Advisory Committee on Western NC Recovery

- Executive Order No. 5: OSHR Exceptions - Helene Relief