State To Hold Superstorm Sandy Information Session In Manasquan Next Week

by Patricia A. Miller

It’s been more than two and a half years since Superstorm Sandy battered the Jersey coast, but many storm victims still need help getting back home and getting their houses raised.

Representatives of the state Department of Community Affairs will be on hand from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at the Manasquan Elks at 17 Stockton Lake Boulevard to help homeowners navigate their way through the Reconstruction, Rehabiliation, Elevation and Mitigation program - more commonly known as RREM.

The session is open to all residents in the nine Sandy-affected counties, including Ocean and Monmouth.

“Whether RREM participants are nearing completion on the rebuilding or elevating of their storm-damaged home or are recently funded under the RREM Program and just selecting a contractor to start rehabilitation, we will have knowledgeable staff available to field their questions,” said state Department of Community Affairs Acting Commissioner Charles Richman.

DCA representatives from the Sandy Recovery Division, Housing Recovery Centers and RREM program managers will be available to answer questions and provide one-on-one advice to homeowners, according to a DCA release.

“Homeowners in the program can use the information session to check the status of their application, 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.

State Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs will also be available to discuss federally mandated environmental and historical reviews and how to select reliable contractors.

information will be available about the Rental Assistance Program (RAP), which helps Sandy-impacted families pay for temporary housing while their primary homes are being repaired, rebuilt or elevated. Homeowners who have signed a RREM grant agreement can receive up to $825 in rental assistance for six months.

For more information on the RREM Session, RREM applicants may contact the DCA’s Sandy Constituent Services Office by calling 609-292-3750 or by emailing sandy.recovery@dca.nj.gov.

For more information on the Sandy Recovery Housing Counseling Program and the Rental Assistance Program, people can visit http://www.renewjerseystronger.org/