HUD rejects Asheville's Helene recovery plan because of its DEI targets

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

03/11/25 5:48 PM ET


The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rejected Hurricane Helene repair efforts in Asheville, N.C., because the city’s proposed recovery plan features a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program that conflicts with President Trump’s January executive order.

“HUD looks forward to helping thousands of North Carolinians rebuild after Hurricane Helene by directing funding assistance to impacted businesses, non-profit organizations and neighborhoods,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement on Monday. “However, Asheville’s draft action plan incorporated DEI criteria to prioritize some impacted residents over others, which was unacceptable,” he added. “After HUD informed Asheville that its plan was unsatisfactory and it would not be approved, the city assured us that it was updating its draft action plan to be compliant.”

Asheville rolled out a draft 2025 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery action plan last Tuesday, with the HUD allocating $225 million. The 125-page plan said the funds would be spent on economic recovery, infrastructure and housing. The biggest portion of it, $130 million, would be spent on infrastructure.

The HUD slammed one portion of the plan, on page 76, where it said, “Within the Small Business Support Program, the City will prioritize assistance for Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWBE) within the scoring criteria outlined within the policies and procedures.” “DEI is dead at HUD. Looking into this,” Turner wrote Wednesday last week on the social platform X, less than a week before officially rejecting Asheville’s recovery efforts.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5189499-hud-hurricane-helene-asheville-north-carolina-relief/

[SunSeeker]

1. Sounds like the DEI blurb was in there by mistake, pulled in from a prior plan's boilerplate.

From back when we wanted to help minority and women owned businesses, acknowledging the reality that they have a tougher time because of discrimination & less resources. Trump does not care about reality.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. tRump Muck think it is a mistake. It is not a mistake; it is the way it should be. . . . . nt

[Walleye]

2. It conflicts with Trump's raging, misogyny and racism

[no_hypocrisy]

3. "DEI" because all the federal dollars don't go to only straight white people?

[Hugin]

5. It's more focused than even that...

Federal Dollars should only go to certain straight white male people who weren’t impacted by Helene at all.

Look no further than the $2 Trillion COVID PPP for precedent.

[The Madcap]

6. What kills me with all the anti-DEI movement

Is that we shouldn't need it, but a vast proportion of our population is either racist, misogynistic, or anti-LGBTQ (or all three). The R's ignore that issue as if it's a good thing.

[GiqueCee]

7. Trump's blatant bigotry and racism...

... aren't getting much traction in the M$M, because the billionaire owners are all in for Trusk's wanton destruction of America. They're giddy with anticipation of a nice, tidy police state, and the introduction of Feudalism 2.0. Those of us with fewer than nine zeros in our bank balance will only be allowed to exist in indentured servitude. Oh, and you'd better be white. People of color, and those who resist will be chum.

[Lonestarblue]

8. Rewriting the troublesome Asheville plan for recovery.

Within the Small Business Support Program, the City will prioritize assistance for Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWBE) for all traditional white families headed by a male within the scoring criteria outlined within the policies and procedures.”

[Katinfl]

9. Did Asheville go for trump in 2024?

I know NC did, but Asheville is a somewhat progressive so I wonder if they voted fro him. If they did, they were stupid. They should have known their relief $ would come with strings attached.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. They went for Harris

But they were probably impacted the most by the flooding for an urban area due to antecedent rain before the remnants of Hurricane Helene hit.

Why was the flooding in Asheville, North Carolina, so extreme? Meteorologists explain.

[Katinfl]

11. Thanks for the info.

We have friends in Asheville and they said the damage was far worse than what was reported. And the deaths was more also. We want to visit them and they said not to come until perhaps April.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. If they cut off money (and not just this but they are already messing with FEMA money)

you may have to wait even later than that!

[Deep State Witch]

13. We Stayed Just Up The Street from Biltmore Village

We stayed at the Residences at Biltmore when we visited back in September 2023. It was maybe a half a mile from Biltmore Village. We went to the Episcopal Church there on Sunday. We were devastated when this happened, because we have a lot of friends in the Asheville area. I was frantic to hear from a friend in Swannanoa as well as a bead store that I buy from. Both were okay, but took some damage.

I wouldn't dream of going back there now. At least not for another year. It's a shame, because we went down there with the idea that we might buy a place and retire there among my Pagan and Pagan-leaning friends. Not now. I don't want to profit off of their misery.