Relief Offered For Homeowners Impacted By Sandy

Southold Town residents who suffered damage during Hurricane Sandy could soon be seeing some much-needed relief.

According to Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, $1.71 billion was released to New York State to aid those affected by Sandy.

To that end, a New York State Sandy Recovery Team has been organized to help local governments accept registration for homeowners; the applications will help to determine potential program eligibility. 

A great deal of funding will be available through federal, state and county programs, Russell said. Currently, the focus is on homeowners who suffered non-recoverable losses; the focus could later include businesses, he said.

Southold Town will be working to assist residents by putting a "pre-application application" on the town's website, Russell said, and sending out a mass mailing.

A hot line will soon be available; that number is 1-855-NYS-SANDY. 

Lloyd Reisenberg, Southold's emergency coordinator, said information is available at New York Rising; to learn more, click here.

Russell said there are some questions, such as, since the Federal Emergency Management Administration requires that damaged residences be homeowners' principle dwellings, whether Southold's seasonal homeowners -- whose dwellings are typically near the water -- will be able to receive assistance.

Another issue could involve FEMA using the community bloc grant model, which utilizes U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines. HUD guidelines, he said, could exclude some from qualifying.

"The question is, who will qualify for relief at the end of the day?" Russell said.

But, the supervisor urged, it is critical for homeowners to get their applications submitted to see if they are eligible for relief.

"One challenge we will have on the local level is managing expectations," Russell said. "Just because someone fills out a form doesn't mean that they will qualify. Hopefully, the state and county will develop criteria in the near future."

Russell said residents should still try to seek aid. "We're asking our residents to put their applications in," he said.

Information gathering and inventories are critical in assessing need townwide, Russell said.

"We need to get our information out there so they can see our unique situation," Councilwoman Jill Doherty said. "It's important we get the voice of Southold out."

Each applicant will be assigned a case manager, Russell said. "When the criteria is out, they will see if they qualify or not."

There is no deadline for the pre-application, Russell said.

"I want our people to do whatever they can to get help," Reisenberg said.