Julian Castro, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said Tuesday his department will expedite federal disaster assistance for North Carolina, Florida and Georgia to help homeowners and low-income renters who fled their homes due to Hurricane Matthew. President Barack Obama already issued disaster declarations for 24 counties in the three states: Brevard, Duval, Flagler, Indian River, Nassau, St. Johns, St. Lucie and Volusia counties in Florida; Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh counties in Georgia and Beaufort, Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Edgecombe, Hoke, Lenoir, Nash, Pitt and Robeson counties in North Carolina.
