N.J. to shift Sandy relief money to program for lower-income residents

TRENTON — New Jersey plans to shift nearly $30 million in Hurricane Sandy relief aid into a rebuilding program for low-to-moderate income residents whose homes were damaged in the storm, state officials announced on Monday. The money will be diverted from three other Sandy-related programs, including one that provides grants to towns to maintain essential services… Read the rest of this entry »

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Apply now for $72M in Sandy rebuilding and rental assistance programs

The state this week launched two new Hurricane Sandy recovery programs for low- and moderate-income residents: one to help homeowners rebuild and another to provide rental assistance. Both of the programs started taking applications on Monday. The rebuilding program, which is funded with $40 million in federal disaster relief aid, is open to primary residents who… Read the rest of this entry »

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Obama diverts $1 billion in Sandy funds away from New Jersey

Kyrillos and Holzapfel cry foul

Sen. Joe Kyrillos

President Barack Obama announced that he is diverting nearly $1 billion in Hurricane Sandy recovery funds away from New Jersey and New York to fund a nationwide resiliency competition that will ostensibly help the winning communities build infrastructure to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Obama announced the competition last weekend at the University of California Irvine’s commencement, according to The Star Ledger. 

“In some parts of the country, weather-related disasters like droughts and fires and storms and floods are going to get … harsher and they’re going to get costlier,” Obama said during the speech. “That’s why today I’m announcing a new one billion dollar competitive fund to help communities prepare for the impacts of climate change and build more resilient infrastructure across the country.”

State Senators Joe Kyrillos (R-Monmouth)and Jim Holzapfel (R-Ocean)l condemned the diversion of recovery funds away from their constituents.

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N.J. Congressman: Sandy funds still needed for infrastructure, businesses

N.J. Congressman: Sandy funds still needed for infrastructure, businesses (via NJ.com)

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – While public officials welcomed the news that the latest round of Hurricane Sandy recovery money will cover the New Jersey’s unmet need for housing funds, one congressman says that the funding does not go far enough. U.S. Rep…

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Restored Doughboy Statue Helps Sandy Recovery at Union Beach

Restored Doughboy Statue Helps Sandy Recovery at Union Beach (via NJSpotlight)

A much-loved memorial to Union Beach’s war dead was hoisted back into place on Monday, some 19 months after it was displaced and dismembered by superstorm Sandy. The doughboy, a 6-foot granite statue of a World War I soldier, had stood on its plinth…

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Monmouth And Ocean Senators Ask Congressional Delegation For Sandy Help

Six state Senators representing Monmouth and Oceans Counties have written to New Jersey’s U.S. Senators and Members of Congress asking for help in correcting inequities and inefficiencies in the federal government’s response to Superstorm Sanday.

In a letter dated March 31, Senators Jennifer Beck and Joe Kyrillos of Monmouth County, Robert Singer, Christopher Connors and James Holzapfel of Ocean County and Sam Thompson of Middlesex raised six issues concerning Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the Small Business Administration (SBA), FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and the Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation(RREM) grant program.

With all those agencies and initials, how could anything be going wrong?

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Toms River Crowd Gives Christie A Standing Ovation

Sharon from Toms River asks the last question at Governor Chris Christie’s Town Hall Meeting in Toms River. March 4, 2014

After Governor Chris Christie gave his customary warning to the last questioner at Town Hall meetings…don’t ask a stupid question or the crowd will turn on you…he called on Sharon from Toms River.

While the announced topic of the Town Hall was Sandy Recovery, Christie told the crowd of over 550 jammed in to the club house of a senior citizens’ community that they were welcome to ask him about anything.

Sharon brought up ObamaCare and the crowd started to boo.  “What can we do?” Sharon asked after expressing her healthcare concerns to the governor over the boos.

“Elect a new president,” Christie said a matter-a-factually.  The crowd erupted spontaneously. 550 senior citizens jumped out for their seats as if they had bed bugs and cheered Christie’s answer for a good minute, maybe two.

Christie said his answer was not a matter of partisanship, him being Republican and President Obama being a Democrat, but a matter of what works and what doesn’t work. The governor noted that Obama keeps delaying the implementation of parts of ObamaCare, “because they are not working.”

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Christie to mark one year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy

Governor Chris Christie will spend tomorrow, the one year anniversary date of Superstorm Sandy destroying much of New Jersey’s coastal and inland waterway communities, traveling the state to honor residents, first responders and volunteers for their strength and resiliency over the past year, as well as to highlight the significant strides New Jersesyans have made in recovering from the historic storm.

In Monmouth County, Christie will make stops in Union Beach, Belmar and Sea Bright.

During his first Monmouth County visit at 2:30 PM, Christie will be accompanied by First Lady Mary Pat Christie to visit the Ciangiotta residence at 46 Scholer Dr., one of over 100 homes that have been or are being rebuilt by volunteers from Gateway Church of Christ, with funding from the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund that Mrs. Christie leads and other charities.  Pastor Carl Williamson declined to say what is on the agenda for the Union Beach visit other than greeting residents and volunteers.  Mayor Paul Smith said that Mrs. Christie’s charity has already contributed $1.5 million to recovering Union Beach residents and that more contributions are expected.

At 4PM, Christie is scheduled to meet and greet students and community members at St. Rose High School in Belmar.  The school was “hammered” by Sandy, according to Mayor Matt Doherty who said the school was filled with fish and turtles after the storm.  “The Governor’s visit to Belmar is an indication of his commitment to the Jersey Shore’s recovery,” Doherty said.

At 7:30PM, the Governor will attend a potluck dinner and bonfire at the Sea Bright Fire House, followed by a meet and greet with patrons of Angelica’s Restaurant, which is opposite the firehouse on Ocean Ave, at 8:30.

Christie will also be making stops in Bergen, Essex, Middlesex and Ocean Counties throughout the day.

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Christie Administration Announces Federal Supplemental Social Services Block Grant To Assist Superstorm Sandy Victims

Funds Will Reinforce Social Services Programs and Continue to Assist New Jerseyans’ Personal Recovery Efforts

Trenton, NJ – The Christie Administration today announced that it received authorization to spend $209 million of a supplemental social services block grant (SSBG) from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families on services provided to victims of Superstorm Sandy. The funding is allocated to the Department of Human Services (DHS) and shared with the Departments of Health (DOH) and Children and Families (DCF) for eligible expenditures.

“The physical rebuilding of structures and the removal of debris are just one part of New Jersey’s efforts to recover from Superstorm Sandy,” said Governor Chris Christie. “Another stage of that recovery is the healing process, which many of our impacted residents have been undergoing over the last eight months through social services programs available to them. New Jersey will use these grant funds to reinforce our social services infrastructure so that we can continue to support Sandy survivors’ ongoing personal recovery efforts.”

The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act provided about $500 million to five states for expenses related to recovery and rebuilding. New Jersey received almost half of the total allotment. SSBG funds are designed to address necessary expenses resulting from Superstorm Sandy, including social, health, and behavioral health services, as well as the repair, renovation and rebuilding of health care, child care and other social services facilities.

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Monmouth Poll: 73% are satisfied with Sandy recovery efforts

facebook photo by Amanda Haddox

A Monmouth University Poll released this morning indicates that 73% of New Jersey residents are satisfied,  (31% very satisfied and 42% somewhat satisfied) with the state’s effort to recover from Superstorm Sandy.

78% say they have fully recovered or were not impacted by Sandy.  67% of those from the areas hardest hit by the storm say they have fully recovered.  15% of those in the hardest hit areas say they have barely recovered or have not recovered at all.

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