The Borough of Ocean Gate is dedicated to the residents and will be working diligently with its professionals to help expedite the post Sandy clean up efforts.  We would ask all residents to be patient as our community has never experienced a natural disaster with the magnitude of damage sustained by this storm throughout the Borough, County, and State.  The Borough will continue to update residents as to the status of the clean up effort as well as the reconstruction of damaged property throughout the Borough.  Residents are urged to research and contact the appropriate professionals with respect to their obligations under the construction code, their private insurance carriers, FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program prior to reconstruction of their homes and businesses.

Good afternoon,

FEMA has set up a new hotline for people who want information about flood insurance, the latest flood maps, and other mitigation topics and issues. Feel free to send this out to the public, and to use the number yourself if you want.                                                                                                                                                                                       

June 6, 2013

DR-4086-NJ NR-164

FEMA News Desk: 877-434-4084

NJOEM PIO Contact: 609-963-6818

News Release

FLOOD INSURANCE AND MITIGATION HELPLINE IS NOW AVAILABLE

TRENTON, NJ ─ New Jersey residents with questions about the National Flood Insurance Program and mitigation techniques have a helpline to call to get the most up-to-date information. 

The number is 1-877-287-9804 for people who need information about flood insurance, the latest maps, or other mitigation topics and issues.  Policyholders with questions or concerns about their claims may also speak with NFIP specialists.

The helpline operates from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.  Additional information is available atwww.floodsmart.gov.

More information on New Jersey disaster recovery is available online atwww.fema.gov/disaster/4086 orwww.state.nj.us/njoem.  FEMA is also on Twitter at twitter.com/femasandy and on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/femasandy. For information on ways of building stronger, safer and smarter, visit www.fema.gov.

# # #

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online atwww.fema.gov/blog,www.twitter.com/fema,www.facebook.com/fema,

and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities atwww.twitter.com/craigatfema. 

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

What You Need To Know About “reNew Jersey Stronger” 
The Christie Administration’s Launch of “reNew Jersey Stronger” Housing Assistance Initiative Makes $780 Million Available for Homeowners Impacted by Super Storm Sandy.
Marking a major step forward in the recovery from Super Storm Sandy, the Christie Administration last week launched the “reNew Jersey Stronger” housing assistance initiative that makes $780 million dollars in grants available to homeowners impacted by the storm. The grants are designed to encourage homeowners to resettle in their primary residences and help them reconstruct, rehabilitate, elevate and mitigate their homes. 

TWO PROGRAMS FOR YOU

Under the “reNew Jersey Stronger” housing initiative, homeowners whose primary residences were damaged by the storm in the nine most-impacted counties (Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Union) are encouraged to apply for both of the following grant programs:

Homeowner Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program
Homeowner Resettlement Program

WHAT: This $600 million program will provide eligible homeowners up to $150,000 in grant funds to aid the reconstruction, rehabilitation, elevation and mitigation of damaged primary homes.      
WHAT: This $180 million program is aimed at encouraging Sandy-impacted homeowners to remain in the nine counties that were most seriously affected by the storm. This program will provide $10,000 grants to eligible homeowners to encourage them to resettle in their existing primary home or resettle in the same county. 


WHY: The program is intended to fill the gap between the costs needed to repair the damaged home and other sources of funds the homeowner has received to repair their home such as insurance payments or assistance from FEMA or the U.S. Small Business Administration. 
     
WHY: This program will help to restore home values and stabilize many devastated communities.

WHO: The homeowner must have a household adjusted gross annual income of less than $250,000.      
WHO: The homeowner must have sustained at least $8,000 in damages or more than one foot of flooding on the first floor to their residence as a result of Sandy. 


HOW: A RREM contractor will determine the amount of work that is required to repair the damaged home in order to meet required state and local housing quality standards. The RREM contractor will then select qualified builders to make the repairs and take responsibility for obtaining the necessary approvals for the construction. 
     
HOW: Homeowners must agree to remain in the county of their damaged residence for three consecutive years following the grant award.


TAKING THE NEXT STEP


Making It Easy For Sandy-Impacted Homeowners To Apply 
Online at www.renewjerseystronger.org; 
By phone at 1-855-SANDYHM (1-855-726-3946); 
In person at Sandy Housing Assistance Centers, which will open June 8th in each of the nine most-impacted counties. The locations of the Assistance Centers will be posted on the “renew Jersey Stronger” website; Residents are strongly encouraged to submit an application prior to July 1st; Applications that are received on or before June 30, 2013 will be processed electronically and subsequently prioritized focusing on factors such as degree of damage, income levels and counties that incurred the greatest impact from the storm; Residents can apply after the July 1st deadline, however, those applications received during this first application period will be processed on a first-received, first-processed basis. Notwithstanding, priority will continue to be given to those homes with the most damage and to homeowners of low- to moderate-income. 

Assisting The Most Vulnerable Individuals 

Seventy percent or $420 million of the RREM funds will be reserved for low-to-moderate-income households in accordance with federal requirements; Sixty percent or $108 million of the Resettlement funds will be reserved for low-to-moderate-income households in accordance with federal requirements; Homeowners with the most damage (i.e., substantial, severe and major), whose homes are in the most impacted counties (i.e., Atlantic, Monmouth and Ocean), and who are of low- to moderate-income will be prioritized. 

For more information and details on the RREM Program, please see the FAQ section on their website:http://renewjerseystronger.org/rrem/frequently-asked-questions-for-rrem/ 

For more information and details on the Resettlement Program, please see the FAQ section on their website: http://renewjerseystronger.org/resettlement/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-resettlement-program/ 

Opening Tomorrow: Housing Recovery Centers for reNew Jersey Stronger Housing Grant Programs

Beginning at 8 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, June 8, Housing Recovery Centers will open in each of the nine counties most impacted by Superstorm Sandy. 
  
Eligible homeowners whose primary residences were damaged or destroyed in the storm can visit the Housing Recovery Centers to apply in-person for two reNew Jersey Stronger housing grants: the Homeowner Resettlement Program and the Homeowner Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program. 
  
Sandy-impacted homeowners DO NOT NEED to come to the Housing Recovery Centers if they previously applied to the reNew Jersey Stronger grant programs online or over the phone. Instead, applicants who previously applied will be contacted in the next few weeks about the status of their application(s) and any additional steps that they must take. 
  
Locations of the Housing Recovery Centers that will open tomorrow at 8 a.m. are:
  
Atlantic County 
500 Scarborough Drive, Suite 101 
Egg Harbor Township, NJ 
  
Bergen County 
140 E. Ridgewood Avenue, 1st Floor, South Tower 
Paramus, NJ 
  
Cape May County 
3860 Bayshore Road, Suite 5 
North Cape May, NJ 
  
Essex County 
153 Halsey Street, 2nd Floor 
Newark, NJ 
  
Hudson County 
438 Summit Avenue, 6th Floor 
Jersey City, NJ 
  
Middlesex County 
1 Metroplex Drive 
Edison, NJ 
  
Monmouth County 
3 Paragon Way, Suite 150 
Freehold, NJ 
  
Ocean County 
750 Vassar Avenue, Suite 1 
Lakewood, NJ 
  
Union County 
150 Morris Avenue, Suite 101 
Springfield, NJ 
 

  
All centers, including the Bergen Center, are open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm. 
  
For more information regarding the reNew Jersey Stronger housing grants, including eligibility information and application instructions, and to apply online, please visitwww.renewjerseystronger.org. 
  
The DCA Superstorm Sandy Housing Assistance hotline is also open at 1-855-SANDYHM (1-855-726-3946) to answer any questions you may have about the application process and to help you apply. 
  
Para español marque 1-855-SANDYHM (1-855-726-3946) 
  
Sincerely, 
  
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs 
reNewJerseystronger.org 
  

Residents who intend to make application for the Hazard Mitigation Grant must submit the application to the Borough on or before March 15, 2013 in order to be eligible for any grant proceeds.  Failure to file the application will result in a denial of any grant proceeds.  The application can be downloaded on this website or obtained in person at Borough Hall.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information:
Mayor Paul Kennedy 732-269-3166 Ext. 28
ogmayor@verizon.net
Paulette Konopka 732-269-3166 Ext. 13
ogcfo1@verizon.net

  Buy-A-Board to Rebuild the Ocean Gate Boardwalk the “Jewel of the Toms River”  

The Borough of Ocean Gate is pleased to introduce the Buy-A-Board program to benefit the rebuilding our boardwalk the “Jewel of the Toms River”.  Residents, visitors and boardwalk lovers are welcome to purchase a board to be engraved with their special message to be included in the boardwalk’s rebuilding. Donors can pick a “zone” which corresponds to a repaired area, and the board will be placed in that area (first come, first accommodated).  Messages can include sayings, family names, in memoriam, or business name, but will be limited to 2 lines of 25 characters/spaces per line, and will be screened for appropriate content. Proceeds from the sale of the boards will go directly to the Borough to offset the building of the boardwalk, which is scheduled to be completed by summer 2013.  Since space is limited, those interested in participating are encouraged to act quickly for prime placement.  Boards may be purchased by downloading a form with a check sent to the Borough or by contacting Paulette Konopka at ogcfo1@verizon.net.  All information is available on our website oceangate-nj.gov

Ocean Gate Press Release 2/18/13

I'm pleased to announce that after several months of discussion, the RobinHood Foundation has given $300,000.00 to Borough of Ocean Gate residents who have been affected by Super Storm Sandy. The money will actually be distributed through the NJ non-profit organization, Hometown Heroes. The grant funds come with specific requirements that must be met. An application process will take place soon and will be available through Hometown Heroes' website and their office. Please keep in mind that the specific requirements will be strictly followed. Hometown Heroes has agreed to work with me in this and will handle all the paperwork. 

The main objective of this program is to get people back in their homes. Funds will go towards items like hot water heaters, furnaces , insulation, electrical wiring , Sheetrock , flooring , etc. Once application is made and the homeowner is qualified , Hometown Heroes will pay the contractors directly for work performed. For some applicants it may be utility bills, for others it may clothing. There are many different areas that are applicable but the main priority is to get people back into their homes. No money will be given directly to any homeowners. The grant funds are only available to homeowners primary home. No secondary or vacation homes qualify. 

The RobinHood Foundation has generously donated the money to Ocean Gate residents based on the criteria and conversations I've had with them over the past several months. This funding has come from donations from the 12/12/12 concert that was held in Madison Square Garden , NYC. The money will be distributed to Hometown Heroes and will be SOLEY dedicated for Ocean Gate and its residents' (who qualify) needs. There is a maximum amount that each household will be eligible for. All of the specifics will be spelled out through the application process through Hometown Heroes. I will be the only representative of the Borough designated to act as Liaison between the homeowners and Hometown Heroes. 


The Hometown Heroes information is as follows : website is: NJhometownheroes.org Or call 732-473-9400

For any other information either contact Hometown Heroes or myself.
Ogmayor@verizon.net or
732-269-3166 extension 28 


Paul J. Kennedy
Mayor 
Borough of Ocean Gate
801 Ocean Gate Avenue
732-269-3166 Ext. 28