• A hurricane recovery plan is being rejected by the federal government because officials said it conflicts with an executive order to end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rejected Asheville, North Carolina’s plan.
• HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement it was because the “draft plan incorporated DEI criteria to prioritize some impacted residents over others, which was unacceptable.”
• Turner said after notifying Asheville of the rejection “the city assured us that it was updating its draft action plan to be compliant.”

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A Hurricane Helene recovery plan is being rejected by the federal government because officials said it conflicts with an executive order to end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rejected Asheville, North Carolina’s plan.

What is the HUD secretary saying?

HUD Secretary Scott Turner said in a statement it was because the “draft plan incorporated DEI criteria to prioritize some impacted residents over others, which was unacceptable.”

Turner said after notifying Asheville of the rejection “the city assured us that it was updating its draft action plan to be compliant.”

Where was the issue in the draft proposal?

Asheville introduced its 125-page draft plan last week with $225 million in proposed HUD funs, $130 million of which would be spent on infrastructure.

HUD took issue with a portion on page 76 which read, “Within the small business support program, the city will prioritize assistance for minority and women owned business within the scoring criteria outlined within the policies and procedures.”

“Let me be clear. DEI is dead at HUD,” Turner wrote. “We will not provide funding to any program or grantee that does not comply with President Trump’s executive orders.”

What was Trump’s DEI executive order?

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office seeking to end DEI programs in federal government which he calls “discriminatory.”

Why is hurricane recovery especially important to Asheville?

North Carolina reportedly sustained nearly $60 billion in damage from Hurricane Helene and the Asheville area suffered some of the worst devastation including deadly mudslides and flooding.