Gov. Phil Murphy announced additional funding for Sandy victims on the sixth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, Oct. 29, 2018. (State of NJ)
UNION BEACH On the sixth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, Gov. Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver, Monday, Oct. 29 announced significant changes to the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation, and Mitigation Program and the Low-to-Moderate Income Homeowner Rebuilding Program, the two main housing recovery programs for homeowners impacted by Superstorm Sandy. The changes will enable program participants who have not yet finished construction on storm-damaged property to receive more money to complete projects. Participants who owe money to the program through "clawbacks" will also have an opportunity to demonstrate that repayment of the amount owed will create an extreme financial hardship.
With these programs, our objective is to find a path forward for the homeowners who have not finished rebuilding and who find themselves stuck because they don't have the financial means to move ahead, Murphy said. We want to work with people who are struggling financially to determine what they can realistically contribute, and we want to get them across the finish line so they can return home and get some much-overdue normalcy in their lives.
For the approximately 1,200 homeowners in the RREM Program and the LMI Program who have not completed construction, DCA is proposing a zero-interest, forgivable loan to fully fund unmet needs above and beyond the maximum $150,000 grant.
By supplementing the $150,000 grant with a new loan component to the programs, we are eliminating any financial barrier to completing construction in a way that is fair and equitable, Oliver said. Today's announcement shows DCA is working creatively and purposefully to help remaining homeowners complete their projects once and for all.
The proposed loan would be uncapped, would require no monthly payments, and would be calculated based on the remaining work needed to finish the project, taking into account other funding sources available to homeowners such as flood insurance and Small Business Administration loans. The loan could only be used for eligible costs under the RREM or LMI Program. Homeowners who accept a loan would be required to live in the home for 15 years following construction completion. If the homeowner were to sell the home prior to meeting the residency requirement, a portion of the loan would be due upon sale.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development must approve the loan program. In the next several weeks, DCA will release a Substantial Amendment to New Jersey's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan that proposes to create a new loan component to RREM and the LMI Program and to reallocate $50 million in CDBG-DR funds to the two programs. The amendment process will include a public hearing and a public comment period.
Additionally, in instances where homeowners with completed projects are required to repay excess grant funds, they will now be eligible to apply to DCA for an extreme financial hardship allowance. If the hardship is granted, DCA will use a uniform test to evaluate the homeowner's ability to pay and may provide forgiveness of some or all the debt that remains to be paid. This includes homeowners who have lost their homes to foreclosure, the heirs of program participants who have died, and homeowners who have declared bankruptcy.
The RREM Program is the State's largest Superstorm Sandy housing recovery program. RREM provides grants to Sandy-impacted homeowners to cover rebuilding costs up to $150,000 that are not otherwise funded by insurance, FEMA assistance, SBA loans, or other sources. Similarly, the LMI Homeowner Rebuilding Program provides up to $150,000 in reconstruction, rehabilitation and elevation assistance to Sandy-impacted homeowners of limited financial means who did not apply to the RREM Program. Together, the RREM and LMI programs have already rebuilt approximately 6,420 Sandy-damaged homes.
For more information about DCA's Sandy recovery programs, go to https://www.renewjerseystronger.org/.
