Sandy Victims Fighting To Get Back Home

The New Jersey Organizing Project arranged a bus tour to hard-hit neighborhoods at the Jersey Shore on Thursday by dozens of Sandy victims who say they and thousands of others are still homeless because the state has mismanaged the multi-million dollar Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation Program.

“It’s high time for the RREM program (one of the initiatives that promised to help them with recovery) to get straightened out and for families to get home,” Project co-founder Joe Mangino said. “But the governor, he’s off doing other things. He hasn’t finished the job on Sandy. So while he’s busy touring the country, we’re here touring the Shore to highlight solutions to get families home.”

Mangino was one of about 20 protesters who followed Christie to the Agriculture Summit in Iowa in March to confront him about their plight, after he refused to meet with them he said.

“He was the only one who wouldn’t meet with our group to find out how to fix this program,” Mangino said, while standing outside his still unfinished home in the Beach Haven West section of Manahawkin.

When the bus broke down on the trip from Little Egg Harbor to Union Beach, participants car-pooled to complete their mission ending in Beach Haven West to rally at Mangino’s home and two other sites.

NJOP co-founder Amanda Devecka-Rinea, said the breakdown was disappointing but did not the stop the rally.

“People were saying this is nothing compared to what we are going through.”

Paul Jeffrey, president of the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association, said in Toms River several thousands homes were severely damaged or destroyed. They have issued 1,670 demolition permits for 1,250 new homes, but only 500 are completed. Of the 515 elevation permits issued, only 113 have been completed, he said.

“The process is painfully slow. It’s a quagmire of paperwork, as many of you know,” Jeffrey said. “We don’t know where the money is.”

Jeffrey said he was in the RREM program to get money to elevate his home but withdrew after nine months out of frustration over conflicting construction information.

The bus rally was part of NJOP’s “Finish The Job” campaign, and organizers and members have laid out a list of demands to the Governor and legislature.

“We want RREM money moving faster, transparency in how the money is spent, continued housing assistance for displaced residents and realistic recovery goals,” said Mangino.

As part of that effort, Devecka-Rinea and Magino presented nearly 1,000 post cards signed by area residents to State Senator Christopher Connors and Assemblywoman Diane Gove (both R-3) asking for passage of two bills now in the legislature. The first calls for more transparency in the RREM program and the other granting a three-year amnesty from foreclosure for Sandy victims.
Recently the state’s Rental Assistance Program raised the monthly rate for participants to $1300 and extended the program through to September, 2015.

Unfortunately, that came a too late for Lisa Stevens from Mystic Islands in Little Egg Harbor. After waiting for two years for her house to be raised, she changed her RREM participation to have her house torn down and rebuilt.

She was unable to find a place to live for the $850 a month she was receiving and went out to spend most of her last savings on a camper to live in while the construction is ongoing.

“It’s frustrating, but I had to do what I thought I needed to do.” she said.

Christie spokesman Brian Murray was quoted as saying, “We knew from the start the rebuilding process would be longer than any of us would want and it will never be soon enough for any family waiting to get back into a home,” Murray said. “Still, we’ve made significant progress in speeding up our housing programs and moving people through the process, and this entire administration will continue to work in earnest to ensure every family’s recovery is seen through to completion.”Of the 10,800 families in the RREM program, more than 1,000 homes have been completed, he said, noting the program is averaging 49 home completions a week.