State To Hold Superstorm Sandy Information Session In Little Egg Next Monday

by Patricia A. Miller

The state Department of Community Affairs will hold an information session for eligible Sandy victims who have questions about the RREM or LMI recovery programs on Aug. 10 in Little Egg Harbor.

The event will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Little Egg Harbor Community Center at 319 East Calabreeze Way. It’s open to any victims dealing with the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation and the LMI Homeowners Rebuilding program, according to a DCA release.

“Whether participants are nearing completion on the rebuilding or elevating of their storm-damaged home or are in the process of selecting their contractor, we will have knowledgeable staff available to field their questions,” said DCA Commissioner Charles Richman.

The program is open to eligible RREM and LMI program participants from any of the nine counties most impacted by the Oct. 29, 2012 storm, including Ocean and Atlantic counties.

“Homeowners in either housing recovery program can use the Information Session to address challenges they may be facing in their individual rebuilding process, determine new action items, and educate themselves about best practices and key information as they move through the process,” Richman said

Eligible RREM or LMI participants are urged to sign and return their Right of Entry forms and their Duplication of Benefits questionnaire and submit them to the DCA, so they can progress in either program.

The Right of Entry form allows the state to conduct federally-mandated environmental and historical reviews of homes. The Duplication of Benefits form is needed to calculate grant awards.

Representatives from the DCA’s Sandy Recovery Division and Housing Recovery Centers, and RREM program managers will be on hand to answer questions about both programs.

State Division of Consumer Affairs employees will discuss how to select a reliable contractor to help with home elevation and rebuilding.

Housing counselors from the Sandy Recovery Housing Counseling Program will be on hand to provide RREM program and LMI program participants free HUD-certified housing counseling services for housing-related issues, including foreclosure prevention, homelessness prevention, mortgages, budgeting, rental guidance, and pre/post-home purchase counseling.　　

Information will be available about the Rental Assistance Program (RAP), which help Sandy-impacted families pay for temporary housing while their primary homes are being repaired, rebuilt or elevated. Homeowners in the RREM Program and LMI Program who have signed a grant agreement and meet other eligibility criteria are eligible for up to $1,300 per month for up to nine months of rental assistance.　

The RREM Program is the largest of the housing recovery programs launched by the State following Superstorm Sandy. The program provides grants to Sandy-impacted homeowners to cover rebuilding costs up to $150,000 that are not funded by insurance, FEMA assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration loans, or other sources.