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Source: FEMA via the New York Times

Earlier in the month, we reported that FEMA was planning to redraw and expand the flood zone lines for New York City for the first time since 1983. The redrawn flood zones, which carry heavy financial consequences for homeowners living in those regions, are officially here, according to a report in the New York Times.

FEMA was redrawing the maps right before Superstorm Sandy struck. The new lines place more 35,000 homes in flood zones, creating an unavoidable rise in insurance rates while also forcing the city to adapt the building code to account for potential floods. The Times explained in greater detail what the redrawn flood zone lines means for the city:

The maps will not formally go into effect for about two years, but the mayor’s office was already preparing an executive order to help owners of damaged homes rebuild to higher standards. That means that a badly damaged home that was not in the old flood zone, but is in the new one, would be allowed to rebuild to prepare for dangers predicted in the new maps. For instance, a home could be hoisted onto posts or pilings, which might have previously been disallowed because of zoning. “We’re working on an order that will enable people to rebuild, but rebuild in a way that’s safer,” said Caswell F. Holloway, the city’s deputy mayor for operations.

The expenses will undoubtedly be high for people forced to meet the new building regulations. According to the New York Times, a $250,000 home with a ground floor four feet below sea level, will have to pay a staggering $9,500 a year in flood insurance. By comparison, a home hoisted three feet above the flood line will only have to pay $427 a year.

FEMA is looking to help offset costs by providing $30,000 to homeowners to meet the new regulations when rebuilding. Whether that will be enough to raise a house on stilts is another question entirely.

“This is going to be very rough on people,” Chuck Reichenthal, district manager for Brooklyn’s Community Board 13, told the Times. “Insurance is going to zoom through the roof.”

Photo by Erica Sherman

Three months have passed since Superstorm Sandy swept through our community, but the deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance, January 28, has not yet passed, though its getting closer.

With just a week to go before FEMA accepts its last applicants, they put out a press release reminding people of just who qualifies for assistance and how to get it. Here are the relevant details for those looking to apply:

Who Qualifies for FEMA Disaster Assistance?

To qualify for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a survivor of Hurricane Sandy must meet certain conditions.

First, the individual or household losses must have occurred in an area covered by the presidential disaster declaration for New York, which includes 13 counties.

• Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

The survivor must register with FEMA. There are several ways to do this:

• Via smartphone or tablet, go to m.fema.gov or download the FEMA app.
• Call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.
• For 7-1-1 Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 800-621-3362.
• The toll-free telephone numbers operate 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week until further notice.
• A FEMA Language Assistance Line is available for those who need interpretation services in languages other than English or Spanish. Call: 866-333-1796.

The deadline to register with FEMA is Jan. 28 in New York.

If the applicant has insurance, he or she must file a claim with the insurance company.

For housing assistance

• The damage to the property is not covered by insurance or the insurance settlement is insufficient to cover the losses.
• The applicant or someone who lives in the household is a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien.
• The applicant must have a valid Social Security number.
• The damaged home is where the applicant usually lives and was living at the time of the disaster.

Who Qualifies for FEMA Disaster Assistance?

A survivor may not be eligible for housing assistance if:

• The home that was damaged is a secondary or vacation residence.
• Expenses resulted only from leaving the home as a precaution and the applicant was able to return to the home immediately after the incident.
• The applicant has refused assistance from his or her insurance provider.
• The only losses are business losses.
• The damaged home is located in a designated flood hazard area and the applicant’s community is not participating in the National Flood Insurance Program.                                         o In this case, the flood damage to the home would not be covered, but the applicant may qualify for rental assistance or assistance for items not covered by flood insurance.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/SandyNY, www.twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

Recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

And, just to be clear, this deadline is for new applicants only. If you already applied and are looking to appeal or sort out additional documentation, FEMA will continue working with existing applicants beyond the deadline.

Source: Assemblyman Cymbrowitz’ Office

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz co-sponsored a couple of bills designed to protect residents from shady insurers (A.2287) as well as require insurance companies to cut through the red tape when processing storm damage claims (A.1092), according to a press release sent out by his office.

Cymbrowitz wants to create a Homeowners Bill of Rights (A.2287), which would require insurers to provide those who own their own homes with easy-to-understand documents clearly stating what exactly their insurance covers, how and when to file a claim, and where to obtain coverage in the case of an emergency.

“It is imperative that homeowners know their rights and aren’t left out in the cold without the necessary insurance coverage they need to rebuild their lives,” Cymbrowitz said.

The purpose behind the other bill (A.1092) is to create a new set of requirements that ensure speedier responses from insurers to residents who are filing claims in the aftermath of a major disaster, such as Superstorm Sandy.

“People can’t wait forever to get their lives back to normal,” Cymbrowitz said in the release. “There has to be an industry standard in processing claims so that people know what to expect and insurers can be held accountable for their actions.”

Source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia

Well, it took a verbal smack down from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and an all out general hatred of Congress for it to happen, but Congress finally did their jobs Tuesday night and passed the $50.7 billion aid package for Superstorm Sandy relief according to a report in the New York Times.

The effort passed 241 to 180, with 49 Republican lawmakers responsibly crossing party lines to join the 192 Democrats in favor of the measure. Congress had already passed a $10 billion aid package earlier this month, bringing the total aid package north of $60 billion.

Sixty billion is a large number, but still short of the total $82 billion in damages calculated by the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Still, the money will go a long way to in helping the area get back on its feet, according to the Times:

The emergency aid measure would help homeowners whose homes have been damaged or destroyed, provide assistance to business owners who experienced losses as well as reinforce shorelines, repair subway and commuter rail systems, fix bridges and tunnels, and reimburse local governments for emergency expenditures.

As we’ve previously reported, much of the recovery for home and business owners cannot begin until the Federal FEMA money starts rolling into people’s hands. Hopefully, the passage of this bill will set off a wave of rebuilding.

Still need some financial help to bridge the gap between insurance and FEMA funds in your personal Sandy Recovery? Neighborhood Recovery Fund (NRF) is a fund created to provide financial assistance to homeowners devastated by Hurricane Sandy, and they’re seeking applications.

The NRF’s main goal is to make sure that New York City homeowners have access to affordable sustainable housing by providing up to a $5,000 grant or interest free loan for expenses not covered by FEMA and homeowner insurances.

According to the Center for New York City Neighborhood’s website, the NRF covers the following expenses, depending on the availability of funds:

• Expenses for Temporary Shelter
• Relocation expenses
• Utility Arrears
• Mortgage payment or arrears (if ineligible for MAP)
• Income shock related to displaced tenant
• Temporary or preventative repairs, including:
  • Winterization
  • Sealing of building
• Selected pre-approved home repairs, including:
  • Mold abatement
  • Removal of drywall
  • Replacement of boiler or hot water heater
• Development of scope of work for repairs or contractor estimates
• Gap financing or credit enhancement for other repair program

Applicants applying for NRF funding will be reviewed on a case by case basis. Priority is given to applicants whose annual household income is at or below 200 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). Here is a chart breaking down exactly what this means.

If you are a homeowner and wish to apply to the program, you can call (646) 786-0888, and you’ll be connected with a free housing consular or legal services provider who will help you work through your application process. After you apply, it will take 1-2 weeks for your case to be reviewed.

Here is the full contact address:

Sustainable Neighborhoods, LLC
c/o CNYCN
74 Trinity Place, Suite 1400
New York, NY 10006

E-mail: NRF@cnycn.org

Phone: (646) 786-0888

Fax: (646) 349-1578

Courtesy of Lisanne Anderson

Last week we reported on a letter Councilman Domenic Recchia submitted to the New York City Department of Sanitation, urging them to extend their January 14 deadline for Sandy related bulk-pickup.  Well, his pleas have been answered as the DSNY announced that they are extending their special storm debris collection deadline until Monday, February 18.

The call to extend the deadline was considered vital because many homeowners devastated by Superstorm Sandy needed more time to wait for the payments from FEMA and insurance agencies before they could begin the process of cleaning up and gutting out their damaged homes.

While the extension of the deadline is welcome, its worth noting that the Sanitation Department couldn’t push the date past February 18 because of resources needed in case of snow-related emergencies.

For additional information on DSNY refuse collection, you can call 311 or visit www.nyc.com/sanitation.

Source: Facebook

If you are a homeowner, renter or business owner affected by Superstorm Sandy and have insurance-related questions or issues related to the storm, the Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) mobile command center will be stationed outside of Public School 195, 131 Irwin Street in Manhattan Beach, all day today, January 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Representatives from DFS will meet with residents inside the mobile unit. To learn more, go to DFS’ website or call them, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at (800) 342-3736, (212) 480-6400 or (518) 474-6600.

Source: Facebook

We received this release from the offices of State Senator Martin Golden:

Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services, announced representatives of the Department of Financial Services will be at locations in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Nassau County and Suffolk County to help homeowners, renters and business owners with insurance-related issues stemming from damage caused by Storm Sandy.

The Department’s representatives will be available to meet with residents inside the agency’s Mobile Command Center, which will be stationed at these locations:

Brooklyn

• Saturday, Jan. 5 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jamaica Bay Home Depot, 5700 Avenue U.

Brooklyn

• Tuesday, Jan. 8 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bergen Beach / Mill Basin Shopping Center, 6620 Avenue U.
• Wednesday, Jan. 9 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Coney Island, MCU- Parking Lot, 1904 Surf Ave.

Department representatives will help citizens contact their insurers if they have been unable to do so and answer questions about homeowners’, renters’ and business owners’ insurance coverage.

Citizens unable to go to the Mobile Command Center are encouraged to call the Department’s storm hotline (800) 339-1759 which is staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily including weekends. Insurance information is also available on the Department’s website, www.dfs.ny.gov.

The Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association will hold its next meeting on Monday, January 7, where they’re planning a workshop for appealing insurance claim denials in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

The how-to workshop will be led by Stuart Fries, vice president at Garber, Atlas and Fries Insurance Company.

“If you have experienced difficulty with your insurance claim due to Hurricane Sandy, we ask that you attend this meeting to receive some very important information regarding your rights to argue or appeal,” the flier states.

The meeting kicks off at 8:00 p.m. at P.S. 195, 131 Irwin Street.

Having insurance-related issues? (Of course you are.) Well, the Department of Financial Services, the state agency responsible for regulating the insurance industry and advocating for New York’s residents, has set up a mobile command unit on Emmons Avenue.

The representatives will be available to meet with residents inside the agency’s Mobile Command Center at Emmons Avenue and Nostrand Avenue from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Department representatives will help neighbors contact their insurers if they have been unable to do so and answer questions about homeowners’, renters’ and business owners’ insurance coverage.

Citizens unable to go to the Mobile Command Center are encouraged to call the Department’s storm hotline (800) 339-1759, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Insurance information is also available on the Department’s website.

Thanks to the offices of Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein and State Senator Marty Golden, who informed us about the services today.