nj residents faring worse than neighbors in hurricane ... nj residents still waitin… ·...
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NJ Residents Faring Worse Than Neighborsin Hurricane Sandy RecoveryOct. 28, 2013
By COLLEEN CURRY via WORLD NEWS
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It's been one year since Hurricane Sandy sacked the East Coast, turning homes and businessesupside down, and though billions of dollars in aid has been promised to rebuild affected areas,most victims have yet to replace what the floodwaters swept away.
Residents of New Jersey, where Gov. Chris Christie declared his state "open for business" beforethe summer season began, have waited longer than those in neighboring states for promisedfederal aid to help rebuild their homes.
How and where aid flows is a complex issue, driven by various levels of government, each with itsown set of rules and timetables. For those affected by the storm, who are often battling insurancecompanies as well, it can be a frustrating struggle to return to normalcy.
And to the chagrin of many residents, those that do receive aid will not be allowed to touch themoney until pre-approved contractors notify them that they are ready to begin working.
"I hear all these Jersey 'Stronger than the Storm' commercials and it really pisses me off, it'sinsulting. Christie will spend $20 million on a Sandy commercial and here I am waiting. I can't getany help," said Elena Pagonis, 41, whose Keansburg home was wrecked in the storm.
SEE ABC NEWS FULL COVERAGE OF THE HISTORIC STORM
Pagonis was referring to a $4 million commercial starring Christie, part of a $25 million aid packagedevoted to tourism to help spread the message that the Jersey Shore's boardwalks andbusinesses were back open for summer, even while residents are still living in temporary housing
The Princess Cottage Inn, victimized by Superstorm Sandy a month prior,remains devastated on Dec. 5, 2012 in Union Beach, N.J.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
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awaiting aid.
"New York has made a faster recovery than anywhere in New Jersey," said Mitchell Moss, aprofessor of urban policy and planning at New York University.
"The homeowners cannot seem to mobilize, the insurance companies have not moved fastenough, and despite Christie's initial statements and the boardwalks being back open,homeowners are still in bad shape," Moss said.
GOV. CHRISTIE ON RESPONSE TO STORM A YEAR LATER
After the storm hit in October 2012, it took Congress until January 2013, to approve a $60 billion aidpackage with an array of purposes: funding for FEMA and future disasters on the East Coast andaround the country, money for infrastructure, and direct aid to victims.
States then were required to submit proposals for how to spend their share of the aid money.
But while New Jersey waited for federal approval for its plan, New York City responded to thestorm's damage by tapping into city coffers to immediately get neighborhoods up and running againunder its Rapid Recovery system, in which they restored utility services to get residents back intheir homes quickly. The city is seeking to be reimbursed by the federal government now.
Meanwhile, the city, New York state, and New Jersey all submitted proposals for how to spend thefederal aid, and received about the same amount devoted to housing: $720 million for housingrebuilding in New York City, $838 million in New York state, and $600 million in New Jersey.
SLIDESHOW: VIEWER-SUBMITTED PHOTOS OF THE STORM
But that money has been tied up in red tape for months in New Jersey.
In New York, an initial round of grants was awarded to about 4,300 residents, and the state is still
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accepting applications, according to the state's Storm Recovery office.
So far in New Jersey, about 130 applicants have completed their grant signings, and can expecttheir grant money soon. The state's Department of Community Affairs said another 200 can expecttheir grant signings through the end of this month, and more than 3,000 are still awaiting theirletters. An additional 4,000 are still waiting to find out whether they will be approved at all, ananswer that hinges on whether the federal government releases additional aid money.
The grants for rebuilding of up to $150,000 and can be used for construction and elevation ofhomes. Smaller grants of $10,000 have been handed out to more than 14,000 New Jerseyresidents but cannot be used for construction or home repair.
SLIDESHOW: LOST TREASURES OF SANDY
FEMA also distributed about $450 million for home repairs across all of the affected states rightafter the storm, according to the federal agency.
Gov. Christie's office did not return calls from ABC News seeking comment. In an interview withThe Associated Press on Sunday he blamed the delays on federal red tape and Congress fortaking three months to approve the aid package.
"We've done everything we possibly can, and I think in the immediate aftermath did a very goodjob," Christie told the AP. "Since then, we've kind of been hostage to two situations, the delay in theaid itself and then what I call the 'Katrina factor,' which is the much more detailed and difficult rulessurrounding the distribution of the aid. To the victims, I'd say you're right, it is too slow, and I wishthat the federal government would allow us the flexibility to get you aid more quickly."
Some 360,000 homes in the state were damaged in the storm, which was New Jersey's worstnatural disaster in modern times.
When grantees do receive their rebuilding money, they won't be allowed to spend it themselves.
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Instead, the money will be placed in a bank account that pre-approved contractors can draw fromonce they start the construction work, a precaution against fraud put in place after problems arosein the aftermath of Katrina. Some residents there simply took their government checks and lefttown--many of those properties still sit abandoned eight years later.
Residents have expressed frustration at the byzantine system through which they have to go to getapprovals, inspections and, finally, the grant money, all while the boardwalks and businesses liningthe Jersey Shore reopened much more quickly.
"There was no red tape for the boardwalk. All the red tape was set aside for that. The mostimportant thing was because it was so close to summer, to get the businesses back, the touristsback, and the money for the state," said Joanne Gwinn, whose Toms River home took on two feetof water from the Barnegat Bay during the flood surge.
"And we are boardwalk people, we are beach people, we live here, but it's frustrating when that's allyou see and stories about 'we're back' but I'm still paying my rent in my apartment and mymortgage and property taxes and still paying my flood and insurance policies," Gwinn said.
New Jersey hired a Texas-based contractor that worked during Hurricane Katrina recovery,Hammerman & Gainer, Inc., to set up service centers to process applications, but residents havetestified at state hearings about problems with the company, including the difficulty of reachingemployees by phone, having paperwork misplaced, and being staffed by temporary workers,according to the Wall Street Journal. HGI did not respond to requests for comment from ABCNews, but Cherie Pinac, HGI's chief operating officer, told the Journal that the company doesn'tcomment on continuing contracts as a policy and couldn't respond to questions about performancefor programs.
Lisa Ryan, the spokeswoman for New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs, said sheunderstands the frustration, but the DCA has actually moved quite quickly to set up an entireorganization to begin distributing the funds.
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"We understand folks' frustration--some people have been out of their home for a year now, but it'simportant to note our action plan was approved on April 29 and we didn't receive federal(Community Block Development Grant) Disaster Recovery funds until May. We are moving quicklycompared to many other states after disaster."
Ryan said the DCA hopes to receive a new round of federal funding to approve more applicants.Until then, residents remain in limbo, waiting to see whether they will get the money to rebuild theirhomes. A spokesman for the Department of Housing and Urban Development said he could notcomment on if or when states would receive another round of federal aid.
In the meantime, residents say they're being nickel-and-dimed by foot-dragging insurancecompanies and stuck in limbo with the DCA grants, while being sent through an endless task list ofregistering for permits and inspections followed by weeks or months of silence or denials.
"I'm fighting every step of the way with the very people I'm paying," Gwinn said.
"My insurance company has been fighting me, I've been trying to get in touch with the DCA and Ican't. It's a game. It's just a game. It's ridiculous," Pagonis said. "Everybody's out for a buck."
For homeowners, relief cannot come soon enough.
"Here I am starting my life over again. Now I'm in North Jersey, I had to get a job up here to pay forstuff, I'm living in my parents' basement. My life completely turned upside down," Pagonis said.
I'm thankful we have a roof over our head but it's frustrating," Gwinn said. "Every time you take twosteps forward you take 10 steps back."
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ThatsInsane • 4 hours ago
And people believe government run health care will run smoothly....
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Manda81305 • 3 hours ago
What really pisses me off is that there 150 homes in Union Beach that still need to be torn down and rebuilt - all thewhile - our fearless Governor turns around and takes $15mm in funds the state of NJ got for Sandy recovery andearmarked it for the boardwalk repair damaged from a fire in Sept. Are you kidding me? That fire was caused by thenegligence of the property owner who chose to not fix his electrical system after it soaked in saltwater for hoursduring Sandy AND he failed his electrical inspections. Why should my neighbors still be homeless a year later andthis bozo gets a $15 million dollar bail out?
Everyone promised us the world in the aftermath of the storm and once the cameras left and the three month mark
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Everyone promised us the world in the aftermath of the storm and once the cameras left and the three month markhit - everyone was left to their own devices with a big one finger salute from the state and federal governments.
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bigcatdaddy76016 • 3 hours ago
Obama said he would help you after this natural disaster......a year later...surprise he's turned his back on youAmerica....He really hates America.....you voted for him....3 more years folks, unless we impeach...any ideas?
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Manda81305 • 3 hours ago bigcatdaddy76016
Our governor gave us she shove off too - he's more worried about the boardwalks that the people living herewho make up the 99% of the boardwalks patronage. Profits over people.....
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Audra Cole • an hour ago bigcatdaddy76016
Congress voted on a relief package after the storm. Take it up with them.
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green1313 • an hour ago Audra Cole
They all hate America too. LMAO.
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USAFSecForcesVet • an hour ago
BUT, we keep GIVING away BILLIONS to foreign country's. Makes ya feel all good & gushy inside don't it.
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Alfred E Newman • 4 hours ago
If the folks up there had bought flood insurance after seeing what Katrina did to us down South they would have had abetter time of it..Maybe New Orleans can ship you some folks to help with recovery..oh wait most are in federeal penfor stealing aid.
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Manda81305 • 3 hours ago Alfred E Newman
NOPE! That's exactly who we're fighting with......the flood insurance companies - who coincidentally - is theFederal Government. I wish more than anything that federal program would go away and we were able tochoose who carried our flood insurance policies, but we cant. Its such BS
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"Pinocchio Crime Family" • 4 hours ago
<<<<<<<<< We know some famous criminals that would come steal whatever is left.
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keith • 2 hours ago
I'm broke and my dime is supposed to rebuild someone beach house, I hope aide never shows.
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Manda81305 • an hour ago keith
Its not your dime - its our dimes that we paid the government for their insurance policies. insurance carrier - all we want is for our claims to be paid and our homes to be fixed. you are not under the impression that our "beach houses" are for recreational purposes - these are our onlyresidence- most of which are modest 2-3 bedroom homes in a small blue collar community.
And secondly - I hope to God you NEVER have to experience what we have been going through for the lastyear. Until you do - please don't wish for people to not receive the help they need. People like you with yoursnide comments is what's wrong with society today - look out for me me me and screw my neighbor.
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Audra Cole • an hour ago keith
Flood insurance, etc. is them paying a premium.
Enough Already! • 3 hours ago
OMG! Why me Lord?
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Barb • 3 hours ago
But Governor Christie said he took care of everything, watch his commercials....NJ WAKE UP..Vote for BarbaraBuono!
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Enough Already! • 2 hours ago Barb
You tell the government to keep their hands off my Medicare!
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Barb • 2 hours ago Enough Already!
I agree, the GOP wants cuts along with Gov. Christie...Gov. C. is trying to run for president and nottaking care of NJ.
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pat jones • 3 hours ago
This, after the article were we were paying 200 dollars a night for the past year for victims of Superstorm Sandy tostay in hotels. The system is not perfect, but we do spend a ton of cash trying to help people. after hurricane Katrina New Orleans got hit with another bad hurricane and caused similar flooding in some of thesame neighborhoods. They interviewed the victims and they said they still did not have home owners insurance.
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