Hurricane Sandy Program

OVERVIEW

Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey’s shoreline on October 29th, 2012. It remains one of the top 5 costliest hurricanes to hit the United States. The length of the storm along with the high tide and full moon lead to a devastating storm surge which washed many homes off their foundations, created new inlets on the barrier island, and left millions throughout the state without power. Ocean County was the hardest hit area in New Jersey, with damages to more than 40,000 residences and 20,000 businesses.

The Ocean County Long Term Recovery Group (OCLTRG), the original program from which Compass 82 was created from, was formed in December of 2012 by bringing together over 80 agencies and organizations to coordinate recovery efforts and identify gaps in resources. With funding from Robin Hood Foundation’s “12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief”, OCLTRG began to grow and quickly recognized the need for Disaster Case Managers (DCM) to work directly with survivors of the storm to create comprehensive and customized recovery plans. Our DCMs partnered with homeowners to navigate the process of repairs and reconstruction, helped them make educated choices on contractors, and advocated for direct financial assistance to complete recovery projects.

MAJOR INITIATIVES

Unmet Needs Table

The OCLTRG also hosted a weekly Unmet Needs Table during which DCMs presented funding requests on behalf of clients to nearly a dozen potential funding agencies including The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, United Way of Ocean and Monmouth Counties, and Ocean First Bank Foundation. Eventually these services were expanded to all nine of the NJ counties that were impacted by Hurricane Sandy. In the six years spent assisting New Jersey residents, OCLTRG was able to serve 5,000 households with more than $7.1 million that went directly to recovery needs like home repairs and elevation, replacing appliances and furniture, and much need rental assistance for families who were displaced while repairs were made.

RREM – Rebuild, Repair, Elevation and Mitigation program

RREM, a federally funded Community Development Block Grant, was designed to assist homeowners with grants to repair or rebuild their homes. The program also assisted homeowners to elevate or mitigate their homes in order to comply with new elevation requirements for structures located in flood plains. However, the complexities of this program, including the need for homeowners to find and hire their own contractors while avoiding a duplication of benefits, left many residents apprehensive.

In response to these concerns, OCLTRG held over 100 workshops across the state to provide homeowners with the information and guidance of subject matter experts. Additionally, with the assistance of DCMs, every client could be sure they understood the inner workings of this complicated grant program, their home was elevated to the required height, elevators were installed as necessary for full access for all household members, and that all insurance, non-profit, and governmental resources were used appropriately to avoid facing claw-backs from any such agencies. OCLTRG was able to assist hundreds of grant recipients to complete a construction project that fit the needs of the homeowner while also being in compliance with RREM program requirements.

Non-profit Builders table

The OCLTRG was instrumental in creating a Non-profit Builders Table meant to synchronize the services of and leverage the expertise and resources of each unique partner. DCMs could present a client’s construction needs to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, SBP, A Future with Hope, and the Affordable Housing Alliance. These state approved non-profit contractors would work together to assess the project and determine which group was most appropriate to provide construction services. The Non-Profit Builders Table worked closely with the RREM grant program to maximize resources and help many families in Ocean and Monmouth Counties complete a full recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

A Sandy Story

Mr. and Mrs. R loved their home where they lived peacefully for decades. Unfortunately, chaos set in when Sandy floodwaters entered and destroyed their ground-floor home. The senior citizens were now faced with the daunting task of rebuilding and elevating while also worrying about Mr. R’s chronic illness that made walking difficult and painful for him. They were at their wits end before coming to OCLTRG and meeting with our DCM. Quickly, however, they realized that they were not alone and that their DCM would be with them every step of the way. She helped them apply for the RREM grant, arranged for non-profit builder to work on their home, and provided them with accurate and current information to ease their fears. After several months, OCLTRG was able to help the couple acquire the funding necessary to return home. Now, their home is elevated, Mr. R has a lift that helps him inside and their retirement finally looks bright again!