FEMA Gives NYC $3 Billion for Public Housing Ravaged by Sandy

By ALEXANDRA STEVENS

 The Federal Emergency Management Agency is granting $3 billion to repair and restore New York City public housing damaged by Hurricane Sandy, the largest grant in FEMA history,  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Senator Charles Schumer announced at a press conference Tuesday in Red Hook.

 The funding, which Schumer called  “massive shock of adrenaline to New York City public housing,” will pay for repairs to  33 NYCHA developments throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Unlike the usual incremental assistance provided by FEMA, the $3 billion grant is being provided in one lump sum, allowing the city to focus on restoring livable conditions as quickly as possible. According to officials,  half the money would go towards repairs and restoration, with the other half to help prevent future calamity.

 “We will go through some kind of weather disaster like this again,” said Senator Schumer. “Eight hundred thousand tenants were effected by [Hurricane Sandy]. They had no hot water, no plumbing, no food, no lights for 22 days. We’re fortifying against future disasters; there will be no more blackouts.”

 NYCHA chairwoman Shola Olatoye said construction was set to begin in late summer and was estimated to take 18 to 36 months, starting with a $108 million project in Coney Island. Plans include redesigning and rebuilding flooded lobbies, basements, and damaged play areas, as well as installing comprehensive security systems. Prevention efforts would include flood barriers, installing back-up generators, and building elevated boiler rooms. According to officials, some developments were still using temporary boilers, which are prone to frequent breakdowns.

 According to the NYC Sandy Funding Tracker on the city’s website, the 2012 hurricane caused more than $19 billion in damages and lost economic activity. Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams said that city officials hoped the FEMA funding would foster economic activity and support local small businesses that were effected by the disaster. Mayor de Blasio and Senator Schumer expressed the hopes that the historic grant will improve the quality of life for all NYCHA residents, even those who weren’t directly effected by Hurricane Sandy.