The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Thursday announced $3 million in new grants for North Carolina residents impacted by Hurricane Helene. But independent reporting has also detailed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has nearly exhausted funding for the next year in just the past eight days.
The $3 million in new funding from HUD comes from its Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing (RUSH) program. These funds are designed to “help residents and families who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have needs that are not otherwise served or fully met by existing Federal disaster relief programs,” the agency explained.
While impact assessments are ongoing, HUD recognizes that there is a need to immediately release funding for those impacted by the disaster, according to Adrianne Todman, the acting secretary of HUD.
“[W]e know the breadth of destruction warrants immediate funding to supplement emergency assistance for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness,” she said. “HUD is committed to working with state and local leaders in North Carolina, during their long road of recovery ahead.”
Federal and charitable entities including FEMA and the Red Cross are providing relief assistance on the ground, but the extent of the damage has overwhelmed local capacity, HUD explained. More assistance is needed, and RUSH funding “is intended to address the immediate unmet needs for homelessness assistance and homelessness prevention in declared disaster areas.”
The relief funding can be applied for by those who were already experiencing homelessness prior to Helene, and for those who were previously at risk of homelessness. Previously unhoused individuals are eligible for emergency shelter, up to 24 months of rental assistance, financial aid for moving costs and other support services.
But according to reporting by Politico, the federal government has nearly exhausted funds allocated by Congress for disaster relief over the past eight days. Officials are facing successive challenges brought about by Helene and by Hurricane Milton, which struck Florida overnight on Thursday.
Absent additional action from Congress, FEMA will be forced to restrict its spending as relief needs accelerate in the wake of both disasters. The full impacts of damage, displacements and losses of life are currently being assessed.
“I’m going to have to evaluate how quickly we’re burning the remaining dollars in the Disaster Relief Fund,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said during a news briefing on Wednesday prior to Milton’s landfall.
The restrictions would mean that FEMA would limit spending to life-saving operations during disasters. It would not pay for rebuilding efforts, which could leave limited repair and recovery options for critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and water treatment facilities.
“We keep a reserve in the Disaster Relief Fund to make sure I can always cover these life-saving activities,” Criswell said, according to Politico. “I’m going to have to assess that every day to see if I can wait that long.”
As of Tuesday, Criswell disclosed that $9 billion of the $20 billion Congress allocated to the disaster fund through September 2025 had been spent — and that was prior to Milton’s landfall. The White House and President Joe Biden have sought additional funding for FEMA, but Congress has not taken up the request.
A coalition of Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives has urged Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to reconvene the House — which is currently in recess — to address disaster needs. But Johnson has signaled he will not call for a new session prior to next month’s general election, according to reporting by NBC News.
