NCPRO Updates
Relief Funds Map Now on NCPRO Website
More than $50 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding came to North Carolina in 2020 to support the urgent needs of North Carolinians. Our new interactive map illustrates roughly half of those funds.
Congress passed five bills in 2020 to provide relief funding to North Carolina's people, businesses, state and local governments, health care providers, schools, and communities. During a time of tremendous uncertainty and intensity, these funds were used to respond to the immediate impacts of the pandemic: helping hospitals acquire ventilators and PPE, supporting schools and businesses adapt to social distancing, distance learning, and teleworking, and providing rent, food, and unemployment relief to residents across the state.
NC is receiving nearly $30 billion in additional federal funds through the March 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP). These funds are not yet included in the map. NCPRO hopes ARP recipients can use this map to identify remaining needs and consider stakeholders with which to coordinate as they plan the use of the new recovery funds. To view the interactive map, click on the image below or visit ncpro.nc.gov.
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Housing Corner
The latest…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has extended the Eviction Moratorium that was set to expire on June 30, 2021 to now expire on July 31, 2021. This means renters cannot be evicted for non-payment of rent during this time if they present a signed Declaration Form to their landlord. The Declaration Form is available here.
Financial assistance is available for eligible renters through the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program known as the HOPE Program or your local community Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program. Contact information for local ERA Programs and complete details about the HOPE Program including eligibility requirements, program benefits and an online application are available at www.hope.nc.gov. Applicants who cannot access the website may also call (888) 927-5467.
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Economic Update
North Carolina realized little change in its total employment between April and May 2021 adding only 1,400 jobs during this time. After an initial loss of 575,200 workers, employment has increased every month in since May 2020, except in April 2021. During the first five months of 2021, employment has climbed by only 25,900. If this average monthly growth holds for the remainder of the year, North Carolina will only add 62,160 jobs in 2021– not nearly enough for the economy to recover to pre-pandemic totals. Read this month's full Economic Update.
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A Word from NCPRO Executive Director Stephanie McGarrah
In June, NCPRO welcomed our new Deputy Director, David Howard. David is coming to NCPRO from NC Department of Transportation and brings with him a plethora of national and state leadership experience.
Our staff has been working diligently in reaching out to the 525 municipalities to answer questions, provide resources, and assist them through the pre-contracting and contracting stages for the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund from the American Rescue Plan Act to ensure these non-entitlement units receive their funds quickly and efficiently beginning this month.
On June 30 and July 1, the Local Pandemic Recovery Stakeholder group hosted two information sessions for local governments on the American Rescue Plan Act. These sessions covered topics that gave recipients an opportunity to learn how they could invest funds to make transformational changes to their communities. We look forward to hosting additional webinars on topics for the American Rescue Act Fund. All information from these webinars can be found on our website.
We are grateful for this group’s dedication to serve local governments and all North Carolinians on the road to recovery from the pandemic.
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Welcome Deputy Director David Howard
Please join us in welcoming David Howard as NCPRO's new Deputy Director!
Howard most recently served as N.C. Department of Transportation's Chief Deputy Secretary, where he oversaw the high-level operations of the Division of Motor Vehicles, the non-highway divisions (Aviation, Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation, Ferry, Public Transportation and Rail), civil rights and partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as transportation planning.
Howard also previously served as Associate Administrator of Policy and Governmental Affairs for the Federal Highway Administration, where he was a principal advisor and managed a team involved in transportation policy development, legislative analysis, highway data collection and analysis, and international programs. His office was also responsible for overseeing the Federal Highway Administration's implementation of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act.
Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Transportation, he served as the Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Fund Development for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership, the largest developer of affordable workforce housing in the region.
Howard was also a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission for six years before being elected in 2009 to serve as an at-large member of the Charlotte City Council.
In addition, Howard has a wealth of national and state leadership experience, including the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, the National Urban Land Institute, The German Marshall Fund, the BMW Foundation's Responsible Leaders Community and the N.C. League of Municipalities.
Howard is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with advanced studies in business administration.
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Current Opportunities
- The NC COVID-19 Student Response Corps is back for 2021! If you are a government or nonprofit organization seeking interns, click here to submit an intern request.
- NCIFund is partnering with The National Institute of Minority Economic Development to offer the Eastern North Carolina Entrepreneurial Promise (ENCEP), an intensive virtual incubator program for promising small businesses owned by women (“WBEs”) and people of color (“MBEs”) located in underserved Eastern North Carolina counties.
- North Carolina Healing Communities Fund provides critical resources for nonprofit organizations in North Carolina that have been impacted severely by COVID‐19 through revenue loss and increased demand.
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Our NC Pros
Each month we will feature the innovative work happening across the state of North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are interested in being featured or know of other groups and stories we can highlight, please contact our Communications Team at NCPRO@osbm.nc.gov.
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Watch the recording of the American Rescue Plan Act Regional Information Session for Local Governments.
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Watch: American Rescue Plan Regional Information Session for Local Governments
We want to recognize the "pros" from the Local Pandemic Recovery Stakeholder group who helped organize, present, and answer questions during the American Rescue Plan Regional Information Sessions for Local Governments (featuring Governor Roy Cooper) on June 30 and July 1. You can view the information session recording and the presentation slides here.
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Governor Cooper Issues Executive Order Extending Pandemic Response Measures
On June 11, 2021, Governor Roy Cooper announced that he signed an Executive Order to extend a variety of measures currently in place to respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic until July 30.
Read the full press release.
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Your Shot at a Million: Governor Cooper Announces $4 Million Summer Cash and College Tuition Drawings to Encourage COVID-19 Vaccinations
As part of North Carolina’s effort to encourage more North Carolinians to receive COVID-19 vaccines, Governor Roy Cooper announced $4 Million Summer Cash and College Tuition drawings to motivate those who have not yet been vaccinated — and thank those who have. Four vaccinated North Carolinians 18 and older will win $1 million each and four North Carolinians ages 12 to 17 will win tuition for post-secondary education. Executive Order 219, which has concurrence from the North Carolina Council of State, authorizes the drawings.
Read the full press release.
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Visit our website for more information and follow us on social media.
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Visit the NCDHHS COVID-19 Response website for more information about
COVID-19 data, guidelines, testing, vaccines and more.
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