October 23, 2013

GOV. MALLOY: FOUR SANDY RELIEF CENTERS TO OPEN IN FAIRFIELD, NEW HAVEN COUNTIES

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced the state will open four intake centers October 24 in East Haven, Fairfield, Milford, and Norwalk to provide one-on-one assistance to homeowners seeking disaster assistance for losses caused by Storm Sandy.

"If you are a resident waiting for assistance, relief cannot come soon enough," said Governor Malloy. "We no doubt have a long road ahead, but getting these offices open will be an effective way to make sure that residents know the state will see this effort through. These offices will be staffed with experts who can help homeowners navigate the application process for the Owner Occupied Rehabilitation and Rebuilding Program, which has $30 million in federal relief funds to help communities recover and rebuild from the devastation of Sandy. Residents can still go online to complete the applications, however we've opened these centers - and will open more - for people who don't have computers or who want guidance to ensure that their applications are submitted fully and properly."

Staff from the Department of Housing (DOH) will operate the Owner Occupied Rehabilitation and Reconstruction intake centers Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. Homeowners are encouraged to call the program's toll free hotline at 1-866-272-1976 Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to schedule an appointment or for more information.

Locations are as follows:

The Owner Occupied Rehabilitation and Rebuilding Program, administered by DOH, is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. It is open to residents in Fairfield, New London, New Haven, and Middlesex counties and the Mashantucket Pequot tribal area. Two additional centers will open in Middlesex and New London counties at a later date.

Assistance ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 is available to replace and rehabilitate homes, implement mitigation measures, and to make homes more resilient to future storm damage. Eligible expenses are those not covered by insurance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or any other sources of funding.

Last year, Connecticut was awarded $71.82 million from HUD to address the critical needs of residents, businesses, and communities affected by Sandy. As part of the state's action plan for that funding, $30 million was to help homeowners repair damage. The state has also allocated $26 million for the Multifamily Assistance Program to rehabilitate and rebuild low and moderate-income multifamily homes.

Property owners can visit the state's official CT Recovers website ( ctrecovers.ct.gov ) or the Department of Housing website to learn more about either program.

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For Immediate Release: October 23, 2013

Facebook: Office of Governor Dannel P. Malloy