A house in Sea Bright, Monmouth County, was reduced to a pile of debris by superstorm Sandy. Long-term recovery groups are now being set up to work with storm victims in Monmouth and Middlesex counties. ERIC SUCAR staff Those affected by superstorm Sandy are entering a stage in their lives called “the new normal.”
This, according to disaster recovery groups, is the point when a person who faced significant loss or trauma during the Oct. 29 storm resumes everyday life in a safe and secure manner. “The new normal” will come at a price. The estimated damage to homes and businesses in New Jersey is tallied in the billions.
The good news for affected households and local government agencies is that there are funds available from government programs and fundraisers. And while these allotments will not cover 100 percent of expenses related to Sandy, they should ease the burden as the recovery process begins.
Members of the audience listen as a FEMA flood insurance program specialist speaks during the Monmouth County Long-Term Recovery Group’s first meeting, held March 6 at the Monmouth County Library headquarters in Manalapan. ERIC SUCAR staff The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was one of the first agencies on the ground in Middlesex and Monmouth counties, working to register those who suffered damage during Sandy.
“Assistance is a rolling process,” said Chris McKniff, a FEMA public information officer. “People are still registering for assistance with us, and if we ever need more information from a person, they can still provide it to us. Affected parties just have to register and get a registration number before the time period closes.” The deadline to register was extended to April 1. FEMA registration is coupled with an application for a low-interest loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). By last week, 33,170 had registered in Monmouth County, and 19,763 in Middlesex County — numbers that FEMA expects will increase.
FEMA assistance comes in three ways: individual assistance, municipal assistance — towns are reimbursed for 75 percent of costs they incur related to Sandy — and the hazard grant mitigation or “buyout” program.
“A lot of the individual assistance takes the form of rental assistance,” McKniff said. “It also provides funds for essential home repairs that make the home a safe and sanitary and habitable situation to move back into.”
The rental assistance and temporary housing programs last up to 18 months after a disaster, depending on the need.
“We are in constant contact with these families,” McKniff said. “Families are recertified every couple of months for temporary housing or rental assistance, and we work with them to ensure that they have a plan, whether they are repairing their home or looking for another long-term scenario.”
Those who register with FEMA may receive up to $31,900, but McKniff warns that families should not expect to receive the maximum. At press time, about $73 million in FEMA aid was approved for recipients in Monmouth County, while about $17 million was earmarked for Middlesex County residents.
“We work closely with the Small Business Administration, which provides lowinterest, long-term loans, and that’s where the bulk of the recovery money comes from,” McKniff said. “While FEMA is here to get you back on your feet and … get you in a situation where you can plan for the future, it’s the SBA that comes in to provide money to make you whole again.” F
EMA is in the process of phasing itself out of the area, shutting down recovery offices over time, but that doesn’t mean that those who need assistance must fend for themselves. Long-term recovery groups are being formed in order to facilitate the aid distribution process. These networks of social-service providers, faith-based groups and other community agencies become a one-stop shop for relief efforts and serve the community long after FEMA leaves, so that individuals are helped on their journey to “the new normal.”
Monmouth and Middlesex counties both have long-term recovery groups that are finalizing their operation structures before beginning to take applications. Collectively, a group can use its grant writers, managers and directors to apply for storm relief funds, which in many cases cannot be accessed by individual homeowners.
“We want to assist families to get to ‘the new normal’ by facilitating social-service agencies, organizations and faith-based groups,” said Maria Hunter, chairwoman of the Middlesex County Long-Term Recovery Group and an employee of Catholic Charities-Diocese of Metuchen. “They come together as one community so we can pool these resources to see how we can meet the unmet needs.”
Both recovery groups will assist people, regardless of the magnitude of their needs, once they have exhausted their FEMA and SBA options.
“We assign a case manager to someone who has long-term needs,” Hunter said. “They walk through the whole process with the person who needs assistance. Case managers are very knowledgeable of all resources available, and can advocate for the person and give them some guidance. We want to make sure that the resources that we have will be prudently utilized.”
“Say you come in and say, ‘I have a loss from Hurricane Sandy,’ and a case manager will come in and advocate for you,” said Tara Maffei, vice president of community outreach for the United Way of Monmouth County and a member of the Monmouth County Long-Term Recovery Group. “You may just need furniture. We can help you out with furniture and you’d be on your way. However, we do have people with far more complex needs, storm-related emotional issues, financial needs because of mortgage and rental payments, or major rebuilding issues. FEMA and insurance may come through, but there can still be a huge gap.”
Both counties’ long-term recovery groups received allocations from the Robin Hood Foundation, which put together the 12-12-12 mega-concert, and from the Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, in order to launch initial operations and begin working with those in need.
“We awarded the first $1 million that we raised solely to long-term recovery groups,” said Cam Henderson, executive director of the Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, which had collected $32 million by last week. “We realized that the long-term recovery groups are in the process of getting up and running, and we thought that these are the folks that will help the community best. It is a good place for our first $1 million to go.”
Out of the six long-term recovery groups that applied, Monmouth County’s received $250,000 for administration costs such as hiring an executive director, and Middlesex County’s received $150,000. F or those still dealing with the realities of cracked foundations and water damage, the aid may not be arriving quickly enough.
“Not being in a permanent place is difficult for everyone,” said Richard Bednarz, a Sayreville resident whose home on Weber Avenue was destroyed by Sandy. “We want to be in our own place [instead of renting], and not having the money is obviously delaying that process. Everyone is in the same boat.”
Insurance claims for many are still pending and will not be enough to cover the damages. The result, Bednarz said, is forcing affected people to make hasty decisions.
“People have been waiting for so long [that] they’re being pressed to make decisions out of emotion,” Bednarz said. “People who I know are hanging in the balance here, and they don’t know what’s going on. Everyone is in the same situation to varying degrees. The bottom line is, especially for Weber Avenue, most people don’t want to go back into their houses because they don’t feel it’s safe.”
Bednarz said he is concerned that rebuilding efforts on his block will negatively affect the neighbors’ ability to qualify for a FEMA buyout.
“Hopefully, based on our severity level, the process can be accelerated,” Bednarz said. “But the longer we wait [for assistance], the more it costs us.”
While many are frustrated with the length of the aid process, those in charge of some programs say they need to focus more on long-term assistance.
“We haven’t finalized the exact purpose of the grant from the Sandy N.J. Relief Fund,” said Tim Hearne, executive director of the United Way of Monmouth County and treasurer of the Monmouth County Long-Term Recovery Group. “We believe it may go to structured support to keep the group going.”
Both organizations also applied for grants from the Robin Hood Foundation, which raised $51 million from the 12-12-12 concert alone. The Monmouth County Long-Term Recovery Group will receive $1.5 million in installments, while several organizations involved with the Middlesex Long-Term Recovery Group were awarded a total of at least $700,000.
“People hear that the concert raised millions of dollars, but it was held in New York City and there are people everywhere who need help,” Hunter said. “When you think about how many households were impacted, it’s going to take a lot of money to help everyone.”
The Middlesex County Long-Term Recovery Group is set up at the Sayreville Senior Center, 425 Main St., Sayreville, and is now accepting cases for long-term need. Its hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Hearne said the Monmouth County Long-Term Recovery Group will begin taking applications shortly. For updated information, visit www.uwmonmouth.org.
“We are in the process of completing the special intake form and training case managers,” Hearne said. “We hope to begin taking people by the end of the month.”