Rep. Velazquez Proposes Legislation Extending Hurricane Sandy Aid

By VANESSA WALKER

Superstorm Sandy gave thousands of New Yorkers grief and Aixa Torres, president of the Smith Houses and Sandy victim, is still struggling with the storm’s effects

But with the help of federal legislation filed on Tuesday by Rep. Nydia Velazquez, she said she hoped things would get better.

“It was the most humbling experience,” Torres said of the hurricane as she stood beside the Congresswoman on the steps of City Hall, shedding tears as she described how she and her neighbors in the Lower East Side public housing project were marooned,for days without food, hot water and electricity.

“We could have died of thirst and being without food,” she said.

The storm left nearly 500,000 people without drinking water, electricity and heat and caused some $10 billion in damages to businesses and homes, officials said. And FEMA assistance soon was due too run out.

In the legislation the Brooklyn Democrat proposes extending rental assistance by relocating $50 million from air jordan 1 the Department of Housing and Urban Development into Section 8 vouchers that will go to low-income families still in need of affordable housing. “

The damage was so bad in some units that over 170 households had to be relocated from their homes,” she said. “While their homes are still being repaired, the rental assistance will help them find somewhere else to live in the meantime.”

Vaelazquez also proposed other measures to improve disaster response and create training programs for displaced residents.

She added: “If we maintain that spirit of togetherness, we can recover from this storm stronger and better prepared for future disasters.”