Menendez Rebuts Christie Over Blame for Stalled Sandy Relief Aid

Menendez Rebuts Christie Over Blame for Stalled Sandy Relief Aid (via NJSpotlight)

Who is to blame for the slow pace of New Jersey’s recovery from superstorm Sandy? Gov. Chris Christie blames federal red tape and regulations for holding up the distribution of aid money to storm victims in New Jersey. But New Jersey’s senior U.S.…

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Seaside Fire Aid Will Only Cover Cost Not Picked Up By Insurance, SBA

The Christie Administration announced this morning that government aid to assist businesses in recovering from the Seaside Boardwalk fire will only cover costs not reimbursed by insurance proceeds or by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Governor Christie announced over the weekend that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) will make $15 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery monies available to affected businesses in the form of $50,000 grants and loans free of interest and principle payments for two years.

In announcement that the EDA will be providing CDBG-DR funding for debris removal assistance, the administration said, “the State will conduct an analysis of duplication of benefits and ensure that the CDBG-DR funds are used only to cover costs not already paid by other sources, such as insurance or SBA.  For the demolition of private structures, the state and/or municipality will place a lien on the property to enable recapture of any duplicative insurance proceeds, should they be paid later.”

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Taking Action To Distribute The Necessary Resources For The Rebuilding Process

What New  Jersey Residents Need To Know About The Christie Administration’s  Proposed First Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action  Plan

“This    plan puts into motion the specific actions we’ve been designing to    get relief out as quickly as possible to our Sandy-impacted homeowners and    businesses – to reconstruct, rehabilitate and elevate homes, and to    get over hurdles for our small businesses to get up and running again.    These programs have been carefully, but quickly designed to fill the unmet    needs faced by our residents to rebuild in a safer, more enduring way, to    strengthen our impacted local economies going into this summer, and to help    preserve the unique character of our shore communities as we’ve known    them.  With this first round of funding, we will also begin an    aggressive marketing effort to let people both in the region and across the    country know that New Jersey is rebounding and that the Jersey Shore will    be open for business this summer.”

–    Governor Chris Christie

The  Christie Administration today unveiled its proposed Community Development  Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan, which outlines how the State plans  to utilize $1,829,520,000 in federal funding. This is the first phase of  Community Development Block Grant funds provided to New Jersey by the U.S.  Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additional CDBG recovery funds  are expected in the coming months. With this first phase of funding, the  Christie Administration is focusing primarily on helping homeowners, renters,  businesses and communities impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

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