North Carolina Governor Josh Stein says more aid is still needed for small businesses, despite $110 million in recent grant announcements tied to the Helene Recovery Bill of 2025.
A $55 million program backed by Dogwood Health Trust and the Duke Endowment was just completed, supporting 2,812 small businesses. A second $55 million infrastructure-focused initiative, run through the Department of Commerce’s Rural Economic Development Division, is now open to local governments.
Stein stressed that direct aid alone isn’t enough if public infrastructure like sidewalks, water, and broadband is failing. “If you’re a small business and you get a grant that helps you make payroll, but the sidewalk is totally destroyed outside of your business, you’re not going to be able to succeed,” he told News 13.
The infrastructure grants, available to Helene-impacted towns, offer up to $1 million and prioritize small businesses with 150 or fewer employees. Buncombe County plans to apply.
Stein said his office is drafting a second Helene relief funding request to present to the legislature within weeks.
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