Trenton, NJ: Office of the Governor: Three Years Later: Stronger And More Resilient After Sandy The Christie Administration Continues To Work Hands-On With Homeowners and Communities To Rebuild, Improve Infrastructure And Assist Businesses Three Years After Sandy REBUILDING HOMES TO CREATE AN EVEN STRONGER NEW JERSEY $1.6 Billion In Housing Assistance Out The Door Or In The Pipeline: Three years after Superstorm Sandy struck New Jersey, thousands of families across the state are making progress towards rebuilding and returning to their homes with the assistance of federal grants administered by the Christie Administration. · Today, more than $1.6 Billion in federal housing assistance is out the door or in the pipeline to Sandy-impacted families. · Approximately 8,000 homeowners are actively participating in the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program to repair their homes. More than $659 million in RREM Program grant funds have been disbursed directly to homeowners, which is more than half the projected disbursement total. · With a third round of federal CDBG funds approved in April 2015, the State will award grants to all eligible homeowners currently participating in RREM. · More than 7,680 RREM homeowners have a signed grant agreement, and more than 7,600 RREM homeowners have received at least one payment to rebuild, reconstruct or elevate their homes. Of these, nearly 2,000 have completed construction. In an average week, 50 RREM homes finish construction and DCA distributes $7 million directly to homeowners. · The Administration received HUD approval to increase the allocation to the LMI Homeowners Rebuilding Program by $29 million to $69 million in order to ensure all of the approximately 500 eligible applicants of the program receive grant assistance to rebuild their Sandy-damaged primary homes. Nearly all grant agreements for the program should be completed by early next year. Giving Homeowners The Option To Sell Repetitively Damaged Property: Through New Jersey’s Blue Acres Program, the Christie Administration is giving homeowners the option of selling their properties damaged by Superstorm Sandy in tidal areas of New Jersey at pre-storm value so families can relocate out of harm’s way. The properties are then converted to open space to serve as natural buffers against future storms. · 691 voluntary buyout offers have been made, and 525 willing sellers have accepted. · The State has been evaluating more than 1,000 homes in repetitive flooding communities and over 795 applicants have already been approved in 10 municipalities across six counties. o So far, 390 homes have been purchased. o 245 homes have been demolished and the land converted to open space. · The State has allocated over $300 million for buyouts, including more than $160 million through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and more than $100 million of HUD Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. Repairing and Replacing Affordable Rental Housing Units · Projects that will develop more than 5,700 affordable housing units have received funding commitments through Sandy rental recovery programs. · Nearly $350 million has been committed to projects through the Fund for Restoration of Multi-Family Housing and the Sandy Special Needs Housing Program, which are projected to create nearly 4,000 affordable units. 25 projects creating 1,568 affordable units already have been completed. More than 570 units of affordable housing for low and moderate income households have been approved through the Landlord Incentive Program; More than 320 low and moderate income first-time homebuyers have received interest-free, forgivable mortgages to help buy homes in Sandy-affected communities through the Sandy Homebuyer Assistance Program; approximately $17 million has been spent or obligated so far. More than $25 million in zero-interest loans have been approved to provide 170 affordable housing units in Sandy-impacted communities through the Neighborhood Enhancement Program; four of the projects are complete and leased up and another 21 projects are under construction. $7.3 million dollars of the $10 million total have been approved to non-profit affordable housing developers for the revitalization of Sandy-affected areas through the Predevelopment Loan Fund For Affordable Rental Housing; Approximately 740 Sandy-damaged housing units that will be rented to low-to-moderate income families are being repaired through funding from the Landlord Rental Repair Program. Assisting Families With Storm Related Expenses: While thousands of homes and rental units are repaired, many Sandy survivors have had to juggle mortgage payments, rent, and repair costs. In addition to $190 million dispersed by FEMA for individual assistance, the State implemented critical recovery programs to address this need. Homeowner Resettlement Program Nearly $186 million To 18,589 Households Sandy Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program (SHRAP) $98.5 million To More Than 11,000 Households Rental Assistance Program $19.5 million currently serving over 1,000 Households · The Landlord Incentive Program, which makes grants available to rental property owners allowing them to expand the State’s inventory of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households, will assist more than 500 families. · The Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program provides rental assistance in the form of a voucher to assist eligible low- and moderate-income households with their rent for a period of up to two years in the nine counties most impacted by Superstorm Sandy, which are Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union. DCA is projecting that the $32 million program will provide rental assistance to 1,100 households. HELPING NEW JERSEY’S BUSINESSES GET BACK ON THEIR FEET The New Jersey Economic Development Authority has awarded $184 million to support economic revitalization in Sandy-affected communities through the Stronger NJ Business programs. · More than $120 million in recovery grants and loans has been approved for nearly 1,200 small businesses through the Stronger NJ Business Grant and Loan Programs. To date nearly $98 million – 82% of the approved funding – has been disbursed to over 1,140 businesses. · Under the Stronger NJ Neighborhood and Community Revitalization Program, which provides funding for long-term economic revitalization priorities in Sandy-impacted communities, $64 million has been approved to date for 33 municipal projects. Four projects have already broken ground with the majority of the projects expected to be fully completed by the end of 2016. “ANOTHER RECORD BREAKING SUMMER FOR TOURISM AT JERSEY SHORE” Shore Towns Up And Down The Coast Reporting Higher Than Normal Beach Badge Sales In 2014, New Jersey saw a record-breaking $42.1 billion generated by tourism-related demand, a 3.8 percent increase over 2013. Visitation in New Jersey also rose to 93.2 million, a 4.4 percent increase compared to 2013. Early estimates for the summer of 2015 are finding similar increases in visitors and revenue to the Jersey Shore. Three years after Sandy, a combination of favorable weather and thriving businesses helped increase tourism at the Shore. CBS Philadelphia: “Looks Like Another Record Breaking Summer For Tourism At Jersey Shore” (Paul Kurtz, “Looks Like Another Record Breaking Summer For Tourism At Jersey Shore,” CBS Philadelphia, 9/8/15) ABC New York: “Beautiful Weather Means Big Bucks For Jersey Shore Communities” (Anthony Johnson, “Beautiful Weather Means Big Bucks For Jersey Shore Communities,” ABC New York, 9/7/15) The Bergen Record: “Jersey Shore Businesses Sad To See This Summer End” (Kathleen Lynn and Minjae Park, “Jersey Shore businesses sad to see this summer end,” The Record, 9/6/15) · “Jersey Shore businesses and officials report big gains in tourist spending this year, thanks to low gas prices, a stronger economy and most of all, great weather.” · “Shore towns reported significant gains in the sales of beach badges. Asbury Park estimated its sales were up by 30 percent; Ship Bottom and Seaside Heights both posted increases of more than 12 percent, and Long Branch, an estimated 10 percent to 15 percent increase.” · “Almost half a million people visited Island Beach State Park in June, July and August, an increase of more than 4 percent over the same period in 2014, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.” Cape May County Department of Tourism: “I Think We’re Going To See Another Record-Setting Year For Tourism Overall” (Jacqueline L. Urgo, “Soaking up the last of the Shore season,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/7/15) · “’I think, when it is all said and done, we’re going to see another record-setting year for tourism overall,’ said Diane F. Wieland, director of the Cape May County Department of Tourism, who tracks tourism expenditures for Cape May County.” · “While the official numbers from the state won’t be calculated until spring 2016, experts like Wieland are predicting that the summer of 2015 – with steady good weather, declining fuel prices, and other economic factors – will prove to be another boom year.” HELPING COMMUNITIES COPE WITH STORM EXPENSES AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPACTS FEMA Community Disaster Loan Program: Provides funds to eligible communities to assist with governmental functions. To date over $106 million in loans have been distributed to communities impacted by Sandy. Essential Services Grants: Assists Sandy-impacted local governments in funding essential services such as police, public works and education. More than $131 million in Essential Services Grant awards have been approved for 18 local governmental entities in the program’s three rounds. The local governments include Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Brick, Brigantine, Downe, Highlands, Keansburg, Lavallette, Little Egg Harbor, Moonachie, Ocean County, Pinelands Regional, Sea Bright, Seaside Heights, Seaside Heights Board of Education, Seaside Park, Toms River Township, and the Toms River Board of Education. FEMA Technical Assistance Program: In order to assist communities with FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management reconfigured the Recovery Bureau to provide technical assistance to county and local governments as well as other eligible private non-profits. This assistance has included assigning State Applicant Liaisons (SALs) to provide face-to-face guidance through the FEMA process. Planning Initiatives: Assists Sandy-impacted local governments plan rebuilding efforts that promote resilience and encourage economic growth. Planning grants for 50 local governments have been approved, with nearly $7.5 million in grants awarded. Zoning And Code Enforcement Support: Helps local governments respond to the increasing zoning approval needs in support of construction and the overall recovery effort. To date the program has assisted such Sandy-impacted towns as Brick, Keansburg, Lavallette, Little Egg Harbor, Little Silver, Seaside Park, Toms River, and Union Beach. PREPARING NEW JERSEY FOR FUTURE STORMS Strengthening Communities Against Flooding: Beach Restoration and Dunes: Over the past three years, the State has been working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a massive undertaking to repair and improve beaches, and to build the most comprehensive and continuous coastal protection system it has ever had. · The Army Corps completed the repair and restoration of 21 miles of previously constructed beaches along the Monmouth County coastline at a cost of $345 million. Approximately 8 million cubic yards of sand was replaced to restore beaches from Sandy Hook to Manasquan to their original design standard. · DEP is working with the Army Corps to build 11 new coastal and flood protection projects statewide. These projects, which will cost more than $1 billion, will help create an engineered, comprehensive shore protection system along the Atlantic coast, while also bolstering protections on the Delaware Bay coast, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay and tidal portions of the South River and the Passaic River. · The Army Corps and DEP also are advancing studies of other flood-prone areas throughout the State, including South River, Leonardo, Shrewsbury River and the Highlands. Easements To Ensure Shore Protection: Through an aggressive easement acquisition strategy, the State has now obtained more than 90 percent of the property easements needed to enable construction of shore protection and flood mitigation projects along the State’s 127 miles of shoreline. The Army Corps has signed off on all major Shore protection projects, three of which have been completed. A $57.6 million beach and dune project on Long Beach Island is expected to be completed in Spring 2016. Large projects in Northern Ocean County and on Absecon Island are expected to launch in 2016. Flood Hazard Risk Reduction: As part of the rebuilding process, the State has prioritized projects that will reduce the risk of flooding from future storm events. The State has leveraged funding from FEMA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Relief Program, the Department of the Interior, the Federal Highway Administration and the State’s Shore Protection Fund to help municipalities pay for critical storm resiliency projects. Completed and ongoing projects across the State include: Sea Bright Sea Wall Mantoloking and Brick Steel Sheet Piling Coastal Resiliency Projects Reusing Dredged Material to Restore Salt Marshes and Protect Communities Building Ecological Solutions to Coastal Community Hazards Enhancing Liberty State Park’s Marshes and Upland Habitats Comprehensive Flood Mitigation Projects Along The Hackensack & Hudson Rivers Local Flood Risk Reduction Grant Program Belmar’s Lake Como Discharge Piping System Brigantine Pump Stations Little Ferry Tide Gate and Pump Station Additionally, in April 2015, Governor Christie announced a $202 million resiliency project that will bolster storm protection for Union Beach, which is located along the Raritan Bay, and was one of the communities hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy. · The massive flood control project – funded by federal, state and local contributions – will consist of construction of levees, floodwalls, tide gates and pump stations. The project will also rebuild beaches, dunes, and groins, which are jetty-like structures that are designed to slow loss of sand from beaches. In addition, more than 25 acres of degraded wetlands will be restored to help better absorb flood waters. Hardening The State’s Critical Infrastructure: FEMA Public Assistance: The Public Assistance program provides grants to address storm-related repairs, but also allows an applicant to seek funding to incorporate mitigation measures into a repair project. The State has successfully incorporated this mitigation funding into 85 percent of all projects over $500,000 funded by the program — an unprecedented figure. New Jersey Energy Resilience Bank: As part of the Christie Administration’s continuing efforts to minimize the impact of future major power outages and increase energy resiliency, the State established New Jersey Energy Resilience Bank (ERB), the first public infrastructure bank in the nation to focus on energy resilience. Using $200 million of CDBG-DR funds, the ERB will support the development of “microgrids” at critical facilities throughout the State, focusing initially on wastewater treatment plants and hospitals. This builds on other initiatives the State launched after Sandy to enhance energy resilience at critical facilities. NJ TRANSIT: In 2014, NJ TRANSIT was awarded $1.276 billion in federal resources to fund five projects designed to strengthen the agency’s infrastructure. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded the grants as part of a highly competitive regional competition that included 13 states vying for $3 billion in total available funding. Projects to better safeguard this critical component of New Jersey’s infrastructure include: NJ TRANSITGRID Raritan River Drawbridge Replacement Hoboken Long Slip Flood Projection Train Storage And Service Restoration Project Train Control & Communication Resiliency Project In addition, NJ TRANSIT is advancing more than 100 other repair and recovery projects resulting from the impact of storm surge and wind. These projects include the replacement of 163 wooden catenary poles on the Gladstone Line with resilient concrete and steel structures; the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center which will centralize and coordinate response and communications, and the replacement of damaged electric substations with structures that better resist storm surge while continuing to provide power. Reconstruction of Route 35: Sandy carried away entire sections of Route 35 and destroyed the highway drainage system. In July 2013, the Christie Administration officially broke ground on the $341 million construction project to completely rebuild Route 35 and install a more robust drainage system. All lanes on Route 35 opened this summer and final work on the drainage system, sidewalks, and final paving is taking place this fall as the reconstruction project nears completion. Wastewater Treatment: To address the impacts of Sandy on water and wastewater infrastructure, the State focused efforts to leverage funding for these critical facilities around New Jersey. Last summer, New Jersey received a $260 million Public Assistance grant to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC), the largest mitigation grant FEMA has ever issued to the State of New Jersey through the Public Assistance Program. To date, the State has received $443 million in Public Assistance Grants for PVSC. Funding will be used to build a comprehensive flood protection system at the wastewater treatment facility in Newark and incorporate microgrid technology to allow the facility to continue to operate when the larger electric grid fails. Additional funding supporting improvements and resilience at wastewater treatment plants include projects funded through the state Environmental Infrastructure Trust and energy resilience projects that can be funded through the Energy Resilience Bank. Retail Fuel Station Program: The $7 million Retail Fuel Station program allows retail fuel stations faster and more reliable access to back-up power during an energy emergency. Under revised guidelines issued in January 2015, all retail fuel stations statewide with a minimum gasoline capacity of 18,000 gallons were eligible to apply. Previously, the program was limited to those in close proximity to evacuation routes with minimum gasoline storage capacity of 30,000 gallons. The voluntary program is funded through the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Under RFS, 77 stations are fully approved by the EDA and an additional 30 are awaiting FEMA funding obligation, for a combined total of 107 stations representing grant funding of $3.7 million. Of the total, 37 stations have installed permanent generators or “quick connect” devices, which provide connection points for mobile generators. There are applications remaining in the pipeline, most of which require action, such as submitting required documentation, on the part of the applicant.