Point Beach Residents Can Apply for Hazard Mitigation Grants

Point Beach residents and property owners flooded by Sandy can now apply, through the town, for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grants.

Information and forms are available on the home page of the municipal website, which states:

"The Borough of Point Pleasant Beach will be proceeding with the process to enter the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Program. The information shown below pertaining to this program is directly from the FEMA website.

The Borough will be submitting a Letter of Intent to Ocean County by March 22, 2013, as required by FEMA advising the county, state Office of Emergency Management, and FEMA, of the Borough’s intention to participate in the program.

If homeowners wish to participate in the program, they are advised to complete the application form and include ALL of the required information by MARCH 8, 2013. (Important information about application/letter of intent)
Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) map, with applicable zones, has been provided for your aid with completing the application form.

Once complete and accepted, the form will be automatically sent to the appropriate program managers and homeowners will receive a confirmatory email with contact information in it. Prior to completing the form, homeowners need to be aware of the following:

• This is a “competitive” program and funds for the entire program will be limited to a statewide maximum amount which has not yet been determined. No criteria has been established thus far to determine funding priorities either. There is no individual maximum amount you can apply for; however, the reality is that funding will be limited for the program and it is likely that a large percentage of residents will not be able to receive funding once the funds run out statewide. In spite of that fact, we are urging all interested homeowners to apply.

• For homeowners considering raising their homes, FEMA has advised that, in order to qualify, you would have to raise your home to the base flood elevation (BFE) shown in the FEMA “Advisory” Base Flood Elevation maps issued in January of 2013, regardless of whether those elevations ultimately change or not if the maps are revised.

• Under the current FEMA guidelines, funds are NOT available for demolition/rebuilding of homes.

• Under the current FEMA guidelines, property owners are NOT eligible for reimbursement for work already performed. Approval must be granted in advance of any construction.

• Under the program guidelines, grants are limited to 75% and HOMEOWNERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A 25% MATCH. You are eligible to apply for funding even if you received assistance under the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program and funds received under the ICC program CAN be used as part of the required match.

• Assistance under this program IS NOT LIMITED to your primary residence.

• FEMA has not set a definitive time frame for the program. All that is known thus far is that the Borough must submit a Letter of Intent by March 22, 2013, to the Ocean County Office of Emergency Management and that information will, in turn, be submitted to the State Office of Emergency Management for formal (submission) to FEMA. Based on what we have been told, it is likely that it will be 6 months before funds are available. The Borough will update the schedule as it becomes known to us.

• If you have any questions, please contact Lori Thompson at (732) 671-6411 extension 1440 or lthompson@tandmassociates.com REMEMBER: Your application MUST be submitted by email or mail to lthompson@tandmassociates.com or T&M Associates, 11 Tindall Road, Middletown, NJ 07748 ATTN: Point Pleasant Beach FEMA HMP, by MARCH 8, 2013."