file photo Boyd Loving
N.J.’s Hurricane Sandy victims still waiting for grants, answers:
A year later and they still can’t go home.
That is the fate, even today, of thousands of families across New Jersey who a year ago lost it all because of a storm called Sandy. From Moonachie to Newark, from Ortley Beach to Atlantic City, and let’s not forget Perth Amboy and Sayreville, Hurricane Sandy destroyed homes and lives.
In the days after the hurricane, everyone came to see what was left after one of the worst storms ever to make landfall in New Jersey. They came to see the house cut in half, the river running through the road, the house in the bay, the fires and of course the roller coaster in the ocean. Even the president of the United States came to visit. The governor donned his magical blue fleece and made a promise that we would rebuild. From his lips came “stronger than the storm.” He believed, I believed and so did the thousands of people who lost it all.
To help rebuild, New Jersey received more than $700 million from the federal government. The state Department of Community Affairs set up a division dedicated to Sandy recovery — the Sandy Recovery Division. DCA also selected Hammerman & Gainer Inc., a private management firm, to administer two programs distributing the federal money to Sandy victims, including the $600 million Reconstruction Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation program, also known as RREM grants. (Spencer/Star-Ledger)
https://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2013/10/njs_hurricane_sandy_victims_st.html#incart_river
