Community Corner

State Sets Aug. 1 Deadline for Sandy Grant Applications

More than 27,000 applications for two grant programs have been received

By Daniel Nee

New Jersey officials announced Monday that they would cease accepting applications for two Hurricane Sandy-related grant programs Aug. 1 due to the high number of applications that have already been received.

The deadline applies to the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation, or RREM, program and the Homeowner Resettlement program.

The RREM program provides up to $150,000 for repairs to homes that were damaged during the storm. The resettlement program provides $10,000 to storm victims who pledge to remain in their home county for three years. Both programs were limited to homeowners whose primary residences were damaged.

"Unfortunately, federal funding for these grant programs is very limited," said Gov. Chris Christie in a statement. "As a result, we are closing the application period sooner rather than later since so many people have already applied."

Christie said his administration would "aggressively advocate for all available federal resources" so that there may be future rounds of grant funding available.

The initial application period for the grant programs ended on June 30, though the state still accepted applications through the Department of Community Affairs, the agency administering the programs. Thus far, 15,444 applications have been received for the resettlement program and 12,255 were received for the RREM program.

Both programs are funded through an initial outlay of $1.8 billion in federal Community Development Block Grants.

Applications received by the June 30 deadline were the first to be processed, officials said in a statement.

Grant selection was then prioritized for homeowners with the most physical damage to their homes, whose primary residences are in the most impacted counties, such as Atlantic, Monmouth and Ocean, and those who had the greatest financial need.

"In the seven weeks since these grant programs began, we have received more applications for assistance than we have funds that are currently available," said Richard E. Constable, III, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

"As a result, we realistically will not be able to provide grants to all eligible applicants. Therefore, while we remain hopeful that New Jersey will receive another round of federal funding in the fall, we have decided that closing the application period on August 1 is appropriate at this time."

Homeowners who still wish to apply can do so online at www.renewjerseystronger.org, by phone at 1-855-SANDYHM (1-855-726-3946), or in person at any one of the Housing Recovery Centers open in each of the nine counties most affected by Sandy.


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