Matt Arlyn, AICP, CFM

Matt Arlyn has dedicated his career to helping communities recover from disasters and building resilient housing systems. His work spans multiple states and encompasses some of the nation's most challenging recovery efforts following hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and other catastrophic events.

Most recently, Matt served as Chief Planning, Policy, and Recovery Officer for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (February 2020 - January 2025), leading the policy generation, long-term planning efforts, and implementation of several key programs through four major disaster declarations. In this role, Matt managed the planning and implementation of approximately $1 billion in CDBG-DR funds for local housing and community development recovery, leading teams of more than fifty individuals.

Matt's work in program evaluation and process improvement increased the rate of completed homes by four times its previous average, while reducing costs by more than 33%. He developed four major Action Plans for the state to secure the receipt and implementation of nearly $1 billion in CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT funds. His efforts helped serve more than 4,000 recovering homeowners, generated 2,000 new affordable housing units, and served more than 140,000 renters at risk of homelessness after the impacts of COVID-19.

Throughout his career, Matt has provided outstanding leadership to several states and municipalities implementing housing and community development programs. He has authored key manuals and guidance documents, including the draft Single-Family New Construction Program manual for HUD's Community Compass Program, which will become the standard HUD promotes for all new construction programs funded with disaster recovery grants.

Matt's expertise extends across the full disaster recovery lifecycle, from pre-award planning and action plan development to program implementation, closeout, and grant recovery. He has been a sought-after problem-solver by his peers and by communities nationwide throughout his career.

Matt's approach to disaster recovery is grounded in the understanding that effective recovery requires more than just technical expertise—it demands empathy, adaptability, and a commitment to equity. He believes that the best recovery programs are those that not only rebuild what was lost but create opportunities for communities to emerge stronger and more resilient.

His work emphasizes practical solutions that navigate complex federal requirements while remaining responsive to local needs. Matt is known for translating complicated regulations into actionable strategies, enabling state and local officials to focus on serving their communities rather than getting lost in bureaucratic processes.