Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $20 million is now available for two parts of the State’s initiative to help communities and homeowners continue to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Ida. The storm made landfall in New York two years ago on September 1, 2021, impacting 10 counties with the bulk of the damage outside New York City occurring in Westchester. The State’s comprehensive initiative encompasses four distinct programs that will make communities and the homes of renters and homeowners safer and more resilient against future storms. Requests for Proposals (RFP) are now open for two of the programs aimed at assisting homeowners and facilitating community resiliency projects. The programs will be open to counties outside New York City with a presidential disaster declaration for individual assistance, including Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. The city of New York is administering its own recovery program.
“As New York continues the relief effort following the devastation of Hurricane Ida, this critical funding will help thousands of New Yorkers rebuild their homes and create stronger, safer, and more resilient communities,” Governor Hochul said. “On the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Ida, I am reaffirming my commitment to supporting New Yorkers impacted by the storm and ensuring that our state is fully prepared for the next major weather event.”
RFPs are now open for:
- The $15.6 Million Repair and Reimbursement Program is available to non-profits to help homeowners make storm damage repairs and/or secure reimbursement for completed repairs. Families that earn 80 percent or less of the Area Median Income will be prioritized for eligibility and must demonstrate that their homes were damaged due to Ida.
- The $4 Million Resilient Investments Program helps local governments with technical assistance and/or planning funds to implement community-resiliency projects that will enhance protections for both infrastructure and local housing stock in the event of future storms.
RFPs will be open in the coming weeks and months for the remaining programs:
The Affordable Housing Resiliency program will make investments in resiliency measures at public and affordable housing complexes, and the Renters Resilient Housing program will assist renters and small landlords whose units were damaged in the storm or who need to implement resiliency measures to protect against future storms.
The four-part initiative is administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s Office of Resilient Homes and Communities (formerly the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery) with Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Under the State’s agreement with HUD, 80 percent of the funds will go to Westchester County.
Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Our Hurricane Ida recovery initiative will assist families impacted by the storm to make repairs to their home, as well as ensure we can better withstand extreme weather events in the future. We look forward to working with our partners as we rebuild better and more resilient communities.”
The Hurricane Ida recovery initiative expands on New York’s commitment to investing in storm recovery and resiliency. Last year, voters approved the Environmental Bond Act to make more than $4 billion available to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, reduce pollution, and create green jobs. In addition, Governor Hochul turned Resilient Homes and Communities into a permanent office to lead the State’s disaster response efforts and incorporate long-term resiliency planning into the storm recovery process. More recently putting these priorities into action, earlier this summer she announced a comprehensive package of actions to help New Yorkers impacted by flooding in July including up to $6 million in emergency assistance for low- and middle-income homeowners.
Senator Chuck Schumer said, “Hurricane Ida devastated communities across the Hudson Valley and Long Island, causing millions in damage to roads, businesses, and hundreds of homes. I am proud to help deliver this vital assistance to get families, businesses, and homeowners on the road to recovery, and I commend Governor Hochul for her commitment to ensuring residents throughout the Hudson Valley and Long Island have all the resources they need to build back from Ida stronger than before.”
State Senator Shelley Mayer said, "As we approach the 2nd anniversary of Hurricane Ida and many residents and communities across my district continue to rebuild their homes and infrastructure, we know that there is no single solution to these increasingly frequent and intense storms. NYS and the federal government must continue to identify resources for this essential work. I appreciate Governor Hochul's commitment to ensuring this funding helps residents and communities pay for repairs and much needed technical assistance to build more resilient communities. As the approaching storms remind us, all our communities are vulnerable, and we need to do more to ensure all our communities and residents have this essential support."
Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “The NYS Office Resilient Homes and Communities is again offering targeted programs for families who suffered damage in storm events. Governor Hochul came to Westchester after Ida to view storm damage two years ago. As a longtime advocate for storm preparedness programs, I am grateful for these and other programs that New York has instituted in response to storm damage events we have experienced around the state.”
Assemblymember Gina Sillitti said, “Two years ago I visited residents across my district devastated by the effects of Hurricane Ida and I promised I would not forget them. Last year one of my top priorities was securing money in the state budget to provide resources to those struggling to rebuild after the damage caused by the storm. I'm thrilled that these relief programs are close to opening up so homeowners and communities can finally be made whole.”