(NewsNation) — Six months after Hurricane Helene caused devastating flooding in Asheville, North Carolina, the city’s federal aid has been put on hold because their plan features a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative.
Damage in the area is estimated to be at around $60 billion, and now, recovery efforts are on hold with federal funds being withheld because the city’s proposal doesn’t align with President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI stance.
In a recovery plan, the city of Asheville wrote, “Within the Small Business Support Program, the city will prioritize assistance for minority and women-owned businesses within the scoring criteria outlined within the policies and procedures.”
In response, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner said on X, “DEI is dead.”
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said the city has removed the language from the proposal.
“We do want to be in compliance with all the federal rules and requirements because we need these funds to be able to fully recover from this hurricane,” she told NewsNation.
Manheimer said the city hopes to get the funds by this summer and noted that Trump has visited the area and focused on recovery.
She said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are already at work in the area, but there is still work to be done with infrastructure and rebuilding facilities like parks and playgrounds.
“You wouldn’t believe the kinds of damage we’ve had to our recreation facilities as a city,” Manheimer said.
