HUD secretary rejects Asheville’s current draft action plan over ‘DEI criteria’
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner says the department will not approve the city of Asheville’s draft action plan in its current form due to what it calls “DEI criteria.”
“HUD looks forward to helping thousands of North Carolinians rebuild after Hurricane Helene by directing funding assistance to impacted businesses, nonprofit organizations, and neighborhoods,” Turner said in a written statement on Tuesday, March 11. “However, Asheville’s draft action plan incorporated DEI criteria to prioritize some impacted residents over others, which was unacceptable.”
In the news release, Turner’s office quoted the following passage it says was in Asheville’s draft action plan: “Within the Small Business Support Program, the City will prioritize assistance for Minority and Women Owned Businesses (MWBE) within the scoring criteria outlined within the policies and procedures.”
