Hurricane Sandy Recovery Resources For Homeowners

LINCROFT, N.J. — The impending arrival of spring will give homeowners with properties affected by Hurricane Sandy time and opportunity to make repairs and begin mitigation projects. The Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to offer assistance programs designed to provide information and financial help to homeowners and renters.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) includes Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) Coverage, which will pay for flood proofing (commercial or historical properties), relocation, elevation, demolition or a combination of those mentioned. If a homeowner has a NFIP insurance policy and the home is in a designated Special Flood Hazard Area, the community has declared the home substantially damaged, or a repetitive loss provision is in their locally adopted flood plain ordinance, the ICC will pay up to $30,000 but will not exceed the federal cap of the NFIP policy. Additionally, a homeowner should consult with the local Floodplain Manager to see if the locally adopted ordinance includes cumulative improvements and/or cumulative loss provisions.

FEMA also has Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs to reduce future damages. They are:

• The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is available after a federal disaster declaration has been made. This program is designed to mitigate future damages caused by natural disasters affecting communities, people and property.
• The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program provides funds to governmental entities for hazard mitigation planning and projects prior to a disaster event to reduce reliance on funding from actual disaster declarations. PDM grants are to be awarded on a competitive basis.
• The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program is designed to reduce or eliminate claims under the NFIP.

Homeowners do not apply directly for this aid; that is handled by the municipalities, who apply through the HMGP, FMA and PDM programs.

Survivors receiving rental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development can call 732-345-3771. Homeowners with Federal Housing Administration mortgages can call 800-CALL-FHA (225-5342) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The New Jersey Housing Resource Center also offers information on accessible and affordable housing. Visit www.nj.gov/njhrc or call 1-877-428-8844.

For help finding additional financial assistance, homeowners can contact the FEMA Region II Office at 26 Federal Plaza, Suite 1337, New York, NY, 10278-0002; or by calling 212-680-3600.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is the state coordinator for NFIP, and the Historic Preservation Office of the DEP runs the State Hazard Mitigation Office. Contact both at 401 East State Street, P.O. Box 419, Trenton, NJ, 08625; call 609-984-0859; fax 609-984-1908; or visit the NJDEP website at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/.

Homeowners performing renovations, reconstructions or elevations and seeking technical assistance can call the FEMA Building Science Helpline at 866-927-2104 or email FEMA-buildingsciencehelp@dhs.gov.

http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4086/updates/sandy-one-year-later
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