HUD Blocks Asheville’s $225M Disaster Relief Request Over Woke DEI Criteria [WATCH]

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has denied Asheville, North Carolina’s $225 million disaster relief request due to provisions in the city’s draft action plan that prioritized assistance based on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) criteria.

The request, meant to aid recovery efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Helene six months ago, was rejected after HUD determined that its allocation of funds did not comply with federal guidelines.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner addressed the issue in an interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, stating that the city’s draft action plan contained unacceptable DEI provisions that conflicted with the department’s principles.

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“This draft action plan that the city of Asheville presented at first has elements of DEI, and that is not acceptable to HUD,” Turner said.

“It’s not acceptable to the President, according to his executive order to get rid of all DEI. We’re working with the city of Asheville. They have been very responsive to make sure that their upcoming draft action plan is in compliance with HUD and how we give funds out according to HUD’s principles.”

Turner emphasized that HUD remains committed to assisting Asheville’s recovery efforts but will not approve any funding requests that include policies prioritizing aid based on race, gender identity, or similar DEI criteria.

“We’re happy to be here. They’re working with us, and we’re looking forward to helping the people of Asheville recover from this disaster,” he said.

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The city’s draft proposal specifically included plans to prioritize Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBE) under its Small Business Support Program.

The language within the proposal stated:

“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.”

HUD officials determined that this provision did not align with federal disaster relief guidelines, which require aid to be distributed based on need rather than demographic factors.

In a statement following the decision, Turner reaffirmed HUD’s commitment to providing relief for North Carolinians while ensuring compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order to eliminate DEI-based preferences in government funding.

“HUD looks forward to helping thousands of North Carolinians rebuild after Hurricane Helene by directing funding assistance to impacted businesses, non-profit organizations, and neighborhoods. However, Asheville’s draft action plan incorporated DEI criteria to prioritize some impacted residents over others, which was unacceptable. After HUD informed Asheville that its plan was unsatisfactory and it would not be approved, the city assured us that it was updating its draft action plan to be compliant,” Turner said.

“Once again, let me be clear: DEI is dead at HUD. We will not provide funding to any program or grantee that does not comply with President Trump’s executive orders,” he added.

#BREAKING: HUD Secretary, Scott Turner, has REJECTED a proposal by the City of Asheville NC for $225 million in disaster relief.

It was uncovered that buried in the proposal was a clause that the city would “prioritize” DEI when distributing disaster relief funds to victims… pic.twitter.com/Bd2rfgEMgS

— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) March 11, 2025

According to a press release, President Trump’s Day One Executive Order ended government-funded DEI programs, eliminating policies that allowed for the prioritization of aid based on race, gender, or other social categories.

The administration has emphasized that relief funds must be allocated based on economic and structural need rather than identity-based classifications.

HUD officials have confirmed that they are working with Asheville to revise its request to ensure compliance with federal guidelines.

Until an acceptable action plan is submitted, the city’s disaster relief funding remains on hold.

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