ADDABBO PLANS SPECIAL OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR RESIDENTS TO ACCESS NEW YORK CITY REBUILD FUNDING GRANTS Also Applauds New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program Being Initiated on State Level In an effort to encourage local residents whose lives were deeply affected by Superstorm Sandy to seek out available government assistance to rebuild their homes and lives, I am launching an outreach, information and assistance project to help constituents gain access to funding grants available through the New York City Rebuild program. New York City Rebuild offers grants to people who lost their homes or were otherwise devastated by Sandy to move forward, put their lives back together and recover from this devastating storm. I’ve learned that some of my constituents are unaware of this assistance or how to access the program, and I am offering the services of my Senate office to help people apply for New York City Rebuild program grants. This office will help affected residents fill out applications, and provide guidance to ensure that they get the aid they need. If there is anything that we have all learned from Sandy and other disasters that have affected our communities in recent years, it’s that we all need to work together and do what we can to help each other rebuild and recover. Recent changes in the NYC Rebuild application process have allowed those individuals who were previously approved for SBA loans, but did not accept the loan monies, to now be allowed to apply for financial assistance from the city program. If SBA loan funds were received, the NYC Rebuild program will still inspect a property for possible future support. I am deeply involved in discussions on the City, State and Federal government levels to help my constituents recover from the horrific late-October storm. I have learned that some communities in my district, such as Breezy Point, have a high percentage of residents who have applied for the NYC Rebuild assistance, while other areas, such as Howard Beach, have a slower rate of applications. I want to ensure that all affected residents have the information and opportunity to get the financial assistance they need from the New York City Rebuild program. I encourage all constituents who might be eligible for assistance, even if they are unsure, to contact my district offices. I plan to use the Internet, speaking appearances and other means to promote the NYC Rebuild program. On top of launching my own local effort to bring together Sandy survivors with New York City programs offering assistance, I applauded Governor Cuomo for initiating a state-level New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program, which will provide assistance for new community-based plans to spend federal funds to rebuild and develop strategies to protect vulnerable areas from future extreme weather events. A recent initial Albany conference was held to bring together state officials, community leaders and planners, along with United States Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, who chairs the Federal Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, to discuss current and previous responses to extreme weather, including Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Katrina. An examination of both the successes and failures in addressing the aftermath of these devastating events was discussed. Under the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program, federal funding is being made available to communities to help them work with all local stakeholders to rebuild their infrastructure and create detailed capital plans to address existing post-storm issues and prepare for the future. Committees in each geographic area, comprised of community leaders, experts and government officials, will convene to develop plans that are pertinent and meaningful for all areas, which may have different recovery needs. In my district, the following communities have been selected by Governor Cuomo for aid under the New York Rising Communities Program, and could apply to receive a maximum of the proposed aid as part of their rebuilding and community protection plans: Belle Harbor: $ 10,397,714 Breezy Point: 16,543,216 Far Rockaway: 5,549,921 Rockaway: 16,759,606 New Howard Beach: 9,287,094 Old Howard Beach: 9,129,161 Broad Channel: 6,061,531 Neponsit: 3,675,103 I am looking forward to working with all of my constituents – from individual homeowners, to local community groups, to businesses – in order to help the people I represent not only come back from Sandy, but to move ahead. The New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program will begin its preliminary discussions in the coming months. Future updates of the program’s progress can be obtained from my district offices.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 14:00:01 +0000
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