State adds new leader at agency in charge of hurricane help

RALEIGH, N.C. — A shakeup in leadership at the state agency in charge of helping hurricane Florence and Matthew victims get back into their homes. 

This is happening one month after our latest WRAL Documentary, “Aftermath” exposed some of the problems and delays at the agency.

We know a new leader is being added to ReBuild N-C, But there are still a lot of questions about who ordered this change and what it means for the current director.

Richard Trumper may have some hard work in his future.

“We don’t not help just because something is hard,” said Trumper.

He’s moving to a senior advisor role at ReBuild NC.

ReBuild oversees 800 million federal tax dollars to help low-income hurricane Matthew and Florence victims get home.

But many have said the agency has failed.

Thousands of homeowners are still waiting to go home.

Hundreds are living in motels.

Since then, her chief program delivery officer Ivan Duncan resigned.

The director of public affairs Jaimie Fuquay also left.

And now, Richard Trumper is being added as a senior advisor.

Trumper is coming from the Office of State Budget and Management where he was in charge of disaster recovery.

His office used a different pot of money, but got results.

He testified at that same hearing as an example of when the state can help homeowners. He got emotional talking about his small team of 13 staffers.

Rebuild has more than 300 employees and has helped 20% of the more than 4,000 homeowners in the program.

A spokesperson for the Governor’s Office told WRAL that the recovery program Trumper was in charge of had significantly less red tape than what ReBuild NC had to deal with.

Still, they said his work and experience would be an asset as they work to get people back home.

We don’t know if Hogshead will report to Trumper or how this will impact her role.

Trumper starts February 1.