Six months after
Hurricane Sandy made landfall, property owners are still struggling with the
costs of repairs, and it was recently discovered that New York City residents
might not be allowed to use federally granted funds to rebuild their homes.
New Yorkers still have a hurdle to overcome with regard to
funding for hurricane repairs and renovations: federal relief money disbursed
to private citizens can only be used to build new structures, not restore
damaged ones.[1]
However, no such restrictions are given to Long Island residents, even though
the amount of money being given to the districts is almost the same (New York
has been allotted $1.8 billion; Long Island $1.7billion). The funding for
structural repair is desperately needed, since many of the severely damaged
homes will have to be not only repaired, but elevated as well, in accordance
with new flood safety standards.[2]
The lack of consistency with regard to how monies can be
used within a single state is causing consternation among not only New York
City residents, many of whom are still not able to move back into their homes,
but also among state and local officials. Senator Chuck Schumer wrote in a
letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shawn Donovan that there must
be uniformity with regard to relief funding for all residents of New York
State. “A homeowner in Rockaway Beach
will not be eligible for the same benefit that a homeowner in Long Beach, just
10 miles away, will be able to access."
The New Yorkers without flood insurance who are looking to
repair their homes and businesses might have reason for hope, however, since
the plans for the allotment of funds are “only preliminary,” according to a
spokesperson for the City.
It was announced that residents who were still unable to
inhabit their homes would be moved from Federal Emergency Management
Agency-funded hotels into temporary apartments. FEMA would pay the rental, as
well as administrative, costs for the initiative.
Any funding for rebuilding efforts will certainly come in
handy, considering that many residences will have to be elevated in order to
comply with the new safety standards. The price of elevating a structure is
steep—between $10,000 and $100,000, not including the cost of any other related
expenses, such as a new foundation. Nevertheless, certain structures lying
within the current advisory flood maps will be required to be elevated. Others
outside of the flood area will not necessarily have to be elevated, but
homeowners will have to decide whether to bear the costs of elevation or
contend with substantially higher insurance rates.
[1]
Hurricane Sandy relief rules restrict New
Yorkers from using cash to rebuild 4/11/2013
http://rt.com/usa/sandy-relief-federal-restrictions-662/
[2]
Harris, Elizabeth: Going Up a Few Feet,
and Hoping to Avoid a Storm’s Path New York Times 4/15/2013 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/16/nyregion/after-hurricane-sandy-homeowners-elevate-property.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
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