Two Streams of Funding Available for Rockland Homes and Businesses Damaged in Last Month's Storm

by Rockland Daily Staff

Up to $50,000 in emergency assistance will be made available to eligible homeowners in Rockland  County impacted by flooding and recent storm damage, while eligible PNP organizations are also able to apply for low-interest disaster loans. 

The $50,0000 State funds can be used for emergency repair grants to homeowners who suffered damage to their primary residence. This funding is in addition to the $3 million announced by New York State last month to assist homeowners affected by historic flooding.

The emergency grant funds announced yesterday will cover damage incurred at a primary residence for homeowners who meet the program's income guidelines. New York State Homes and Community Renewal will oversee the program administered by several non-profit organizations in each Rockland.

Homeowners in the affected regions can apply for funding to cover the urgent repairs necessary to bring their homes into a safe and habitable condition. Eligible work may include repairing or replacing electrical and plumbing systems, heating systems and appliances, flooring, drywall, insulation, windows, doors, siding, and roofing. A full list of qualified repairs and eligibility criteria are available on the HCR flood program https://hcr.ny.gov/ahc-flood-assistance-program 

Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded based on a scope of work approved by the local program administrators. Applicants must be homeowners whose primary residence is in one of the eight designated counties and with incomes at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income.

"My administration feels for the families who were impacted by this recent storm," says Rockland County Executive Ed Day said, "... We encourage residents who need financial support to apply for the assistance now available from the State of New York."

The application for the $50,000 in funding will launch this Friday, August 11. Further program information is available here.

Additionally, Rockland County is now included in the disaster declaration for eligible PNP organizations that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature to apply for low-interest disaster loans for damages from severe storms and flooding that occurred July 9-10.

Eligible PNP organizations include but are not limited to food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools, and colleges. Such organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. The interest rate is 2.375 percent, with terms of up to 30 years.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls, and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future damage.

The SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to help meet working capital needs, such as ongoing operating expenses for PNP organizations. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the organization suffered physical property damage.

PNP organizations are urged to contact the County's emergency manager to provide information about their organization. The information will be submitted to FEMA to determine eligibility for a Public Assistance grant or whether the PNP should be referred to SBA for disaster loan assistance.

Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or by sending an email to [email protected]. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA's website here. 

Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline to submit applications for physical property damage is September 20, 2023. The deadline to submit economic injury applications is April 22, 2024.