State of North Carolina

Recovery Plan 

State and Local Fiscal Recovery 

Funds

2021 Report

State of North Carolina

2021 Recovery Plan
State of North Carolina 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 1

Table of Contents

General Overview......................................................................................................................2

Executive Summary.................................................................................................................2

Uses of Funds .........................................................................................................................2

Promoting Equitable Outcomes ...............................................................................................3

Community Engagement .........................................................................................................5

Labor Practices .......................................................................................................................5

Use of Evidence ......................................................................................................................5

Expenses by Expenditure Category.........................................................................................6

Project Inventory.......................................................................................................................6

Ineligible Activities: Tax Offset Provision ..............................................................................7
State of North Carolina 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 2

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Executive Summary 

In this section, provide a high-level overview of the jurisdiction’s intended and actual uses of 

funding including, but not limited to: the jurisdiction’s plan for use of funds to promote a 

response to the pandemic and economic recovery, key outcome goals, progress to date on 

those outcomes, and any noteworthy challenges or opportunities identified during the reporting 

period.

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is responsible for appropriating the funds from State and 

federal sources. This responsibility includes the State Fiscal Relief Funds (SFRF) from the 

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF 

appropriations. It is estimated that the final plan for the SFRF will be complete in Fall 2021.

Once the appropriations have been finalized, more information will be available on the 

intended uses of the funds and key outcome goals will be identified.

Uses of Funds

Describe in further detail your jurisdiction’s intended and actual uses of the funds, such as how 

your jurisdiction’s approach would help support a strong and equitable recovery from the 

COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn. Describe any strategies employed to maximize 

programmatic impact and effective, efficient, and equitable outcomes. Given the broad eligible 

uses of funds and the specific needs of the jurisdiction, explain how the funds would support the 

communities, populations, or individuals in your jurisdiction. 

Where appropriate, include information on your jurisdiction’s use (or planned use) of other 

federal recovery funds including other programs under the American Rescue Plan such as 

Emergency Rental Assistance, Housing Assistance, and so forth, to provide broader context on 

the overall approach for pandemic recovery.

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the appropriations of the SFRF to 

respond to the pandemic and support the economic recovery of the North Carolina. Once 

appropriations are finalized, more information will be available on the intended uses of 

SFRF and the strategies being used to maximize programmatic impact and effective, 

efficient, and equitable outcomes. 

There are two other federal funding programs from ARPA currently under way in North 

Carolina, the Emergency Rental Assistance and Homeowners Assistance funds. These 

two programs are described below.
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The Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (HOPE) Program was established 

to administer the Emergency Rental Assistance funds. This program has been operating 

since the fall of 2020 and has provided rental and utility assistance to thousands of 

households across North Carolina. The HOPE program will continue to provide essential 

supports to prevent evictions and utility disconnections to promote housing stability with 

the funding from ARPA.

North Carolina is also in the final planning stages of the Homeowners Assistance Fund 

(HAF). North Carolina has submitted its plan to the US Treasury is awaiting review and 

approval. Once approved, North Carolina will move quickly to start up the program and 

provide assistance to homeowners experiencing pandemic-related financial difficulties.

In addition, the Governor’s office created an interagency team of leaders from each 

executive branch agency to meet and discuss the relief efforts in North Carolina. This 

group discusses and coordinates relief efforts underway. Once ARPA appropriations are

finalized more information will be available on use of recovery funds in North Carolina.

Promoting equitable outcomes 

In this section, describe efforts to date and intended outcomes to promote equity. Each annual 

report to follow must provide an update, using qualitative and quantitative data, on how the 

recipients’ approach achieved or promoted equitable outcomes or progressed against equity 

goals during the performance period.

Describe efforts to promote equitable outcomes, including how programs were designed with 

equity in mind. Include how your jurisdiction will consider and measure equity at the various 

stages of the program, including: 

a. Goals: Are there particular historically underserved, marginalized, or adversely 

affected groups that you intend to serve?

b. Awareness: How equal and practical is the ability for residents or businesses to 

become aware of the services funded by the SLFRF?

c. Access and Distribution: Are there differences in levels of access to benefits and 

services across groups? Are there administrative requirements that result in 

disparities in ability to complete applications or meet eligibility criteria?

d. Outcomes: Are intended outcomes focused on closing gaps, reaching universal levels 

of service, or disaggregating progress by race, ethnicity, and other equity dimensions 

where relevant for the policy objective?

Describe how your jurisdiction’s planned or current use of funds prioritizes economic and 

racial equity as a goal, names specific targets intended to produce meaningful equity results 

at scale, and articulates the strategies to achieve those targets. Explain how your 

jurisdiction’s overall equity strategy translates into the specific services or programs offered 

by your jurisdiction in the following Expenditure Categories: 
State of North Carolina 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 4

a. Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2): assistance to households, small businesses, 

and non-profits to address impacts of the pandemic, which have been most severe 

among low-income populations. This includes assistance with food, housing, and 

other needs; employment programs for people with barriers to employment who 

faced negative economic impacts from the pandemic (such as residents of lowincome neighborhoods, minorities, disconnected youth, the unemployed, formerly 

incarcerated people, veterans, and people with disabilities); and other strategies that 

provide disadvantaged groups with access to education, jobs, and opportunity.

b. Services to Disproportionately Impacted Communities (EC 3): services to address 

health disparities and the social determinants of health, build stronger neighborhoods 

and communities (e.g., affordable housing), address educational disparities (e.g., 

evidence-based tutoring, community schools, and academic, social-emotional, and 

mental health supports for high poverty schools), and promote healthy childhood 

environments (e.g., home visiting, child care).

Describe your jurisdiction’s efforts to date and intended outcomes to promote equity using 

qualitative and quantitative data on how the jurisdiction’s approach achieved or promoted 

equitable outcomes or progressed against equity goals. Describe any constraints or 

challenges that impacted project success in terms of increasing equity. 

Describe the geographic and demographic distribution of funding, including whether it is 

targeted toward traditionally marginalized communities.

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF appropriations. Once

appropriations are finalized, additional information will be available on how North Carolina 

will consider and measure equity in SFRF funded programs. This information will include 

targets to produce meaningful equity results at scale as well as how programs addressing 

negative economic impacts and services to disproportionately impacted communities are 

a part of the overall equity strategy.

Governor Cooper’s administration has identified equity as a priority in the response to 

and recovery from the pandemic. Governor Cooper established the North Carolina 

Pandemic Recovery Office (NCPRO) to oversee and monitor the federal fiscal relief 

provided to North Carolina. As part of this work, NCPRO is creating a strategic recovery 

plan that identifies the effects of the pandemic, relief and recovery funding that has been 

provided, and strategies needed to recover from the pandemic. This plan is analyzing 

data on the effects of the pandemic which have been uneven across race, socioeconomic status, location, and different business characteristics such as business size 

and industry. The results of this analysis will be available on the NCPRO website and will 

be updated on a regular basis.

As part of North Carolina’s emphasis on equity, SFRF recipients are encouraged to use 

the funds to promote strong, equitable growth. Once appropriations are made, NCPRO

will be working with SFRF recipients to ensure programs are designed and implemented

with equity in mind. NCPRO will be requiring recipients to submit plans on how the funds 
State of North Carolina 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 5

will be used and how they will consider and measure equity throughout the life of the 

program. NCPRO will review and evaluate this information and work with recipients as 

needed. Once SFRF programs begin, NCPRO will require regular reports from recipients.

Community Engagement 

Describe how your jurisdiction’s planned or current use of funds incorporates written, oral, and 

other forms of input that capture diverse feedback from constituents, community-based 

organizations, and the communities themselves. Where relevant, this description must include 

how funds will build the capacity of community organizations to serve people with significant 

barriers to services, including people of color, people with low incomes, limited English 

proficiency populations, and other traditionally underserved groups. 

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF appropriations. Once 

appropriations are finalized, NCPRO will require recipients to submit in their SFRF plan a 

description of their community engagement activities and how they will capture diverse 

feedback from constituents, community-based organizations, and communities themselves.

NCPRO will provide support and guidance to recipients that request assistance with their 

community engagement plan.

Labor Practices 

Describe workforce practices on any infrastructure projects being pursued (EC 5). How are 

projects using strong labor standards to promote effective and efficient delivery of high-quality 

infrastructure projects while also supporting the economic recovery through strong employment 

opportunities for workers? For example, report whether any of the following practices are being 

utilized: project labor agreements, community benefits agreements, prevailing wage 

requirements, and local hiring.

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF appropriations. Once 

appropriations are finalized, NCPRO will request information on labor practices from 

recipients that are pursuing infrastructure projects. NCPRO will provide support and 

guidance on labor practices required under ARPA to recipients of infrastructure funds.

Use of Evidence 

Identify whether SLFRF funds are being used for evidence-based interventions and/or if projects 

are being evaluated through rigorous program evaluations that are designed to build evidence.

Specifically, in this section, recipients should describe their overall approach for using evidence 
State of North Carolina 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 6

and evaluation, including how a Learning Agenda (either narrowly focused on SLFRF or broadly 

focused on the recipient’s broader policy agenda) could support their overarching evaluation 

efforts in order to create an evidence-building strategy for their jurisdiction. However, detailed 

evidence information for each project should be included in the Project Inventory (see details in 

the Project Inventory section below). 

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF appropriations. Once funds are 

appropriated, NCPRO will require recipients to report on the use of evidence-based 

interventions and/or if projects are being evaluated through rigorous program evaluations 

that are designed to build evidence.

Table of Expenses by Expenditure Category

In this section, list the amount of funds used in each Expenditure Category. The table should 

include cumulative expenses to date within each category, and the additional amount spent 

within each category since the last annual Recovery Plan.

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF appropriations. No funds have 

been expended at this time.

Project Inventory 

In this section, jurisdictions should provide a description of each project undertaken.

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF appropriations. No projects 

have been funded at this time. Project descriptions will be developed once funding has been 

finalized.

Performance Report

• For the Project Inventories in Section 8, include key performance indicators for your 

jurisdiction’s major SLFRF funded projects. Report key performance indicators for each 

project, or group projects with substantially similar goals and the same outcome 

measures. Jurisdictions may choose to include some indicators for each individual 

project as well as crosscutting indicators. Include both output and outcome measures. 
State of North Carolina 2021 Recovery Plan Performance Report 7

• In addition, you must include the mandatory performance indicators if your jurisdiction 

has projects in the relevant areas (this information may be included in each recipient’s 

Recovery Plan as they determine most appropriate). Provide data disaggregated by 

race, ethnicity, gender, income, and other relevant factors, if possible. Data should be 

presented in a table and each annual report should include updated data for the 

performance period as well as prior period data.

a. Household Assistance (EC 2.2 & 2.5) and Housing Support (EC 3.10-3.12): 

• Number of people or households receiving eviction prevention services 

(including legal representation)

• Number of affordable housing units preserved or developed

b. Negative Economic Impacts (EC 2): 

• Number of workers enrolled in sectoral job training programs

• Number of workers completing sectoral job training programs

• Number of people participating in summer youth employment programs

c. Education Assistance (EC 3.1-3.5): 

• Number of students participating in evidence-based tutoring programs

d. Healthy Childhood Environments (EC 3.6-3.9): 

• Number of children served by childcare and early learning (pre-school/preK/ages 3- 5)

• Number of families served by home visiting

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF appropriations. No projects 

have been funded at this time. Performance indicators and measures will be developed 

once funding has been finalized.

Ineligible Activities: Tax Offset Provision (States and territories only)

For the initial reporting year, States and territories will report the following items related to the 

Tax Offset Provision 31 CFR 35.8. Baseline revenue or revenue-increasing covered charges 

are not required at this time.

Item Amount

a. Revenue-reducing Covered Changes $

NC Response

The N.C. General Assembly is currently finalizing the SFRF appropriations. At this time, the 

N.C. General Assembly is finalizing their budget, which may include changes to the tax 

structure that reduce revenue. Currently, we have no figure for this revenue reduction.