TRENTON — Governor Chris Christie Aug. 26 announced the Non-Federal Cost Share (“Match”) Program is now allowing local government entities in the nine New Jersey counties most impacted by Superstorm Sandy to apply for reimbursement of the funds they used to share in the cost of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance for emergency activities undertaken during the storm’s immediate aftermath.
“Following Superstorm Sandy, communities faced tremendous rebuilding, emergency protective and resiliency costs, and even though FEMA paid 90 percent of the cost, the 10 percent local portion was close to or exceeded $1 million for some municipalities, resulting in a financial burden for local governments and their taxpayers,” said Governor Christie. “Rather than see property taxes increase in these hard hit communities, the State is stepping in to cover these costs through this newly expanded Match Program.”
The FEMA Public Assistance (PA) Program requires non-federal levels of government, such as the State and local government entities, to pay a 10-percent portion for disaster recovery projects while FEMA is responsible for the remaining 90 percent. Local government entities, including municipalities, counties, and school districts, can now apply for a share of $42 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery funds set aside to cover their 10 percent portion for such eligible activities as debris removal and emergency protective measures, including flood fighting, search and rescue, demolition of structures, sandbag levees, emergency pumping and emergency sheltering, which were needed in the wake of the worst natural disaster in New Jersey’s history.
To date, Match Program funds have been used by State agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection, State Police, Department of Transportation and Department of Human Services to cover the match for Sandy recovery activities from road repairs and improvements to water and wastewater treatment rehabilitations that serve large swaths of New Jersey residents.
With enough Match Program funding reserved for State agency projects, the State is now in a position to open the program up to local government entities. Therefore, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which administers CDBG Disaster Recovery funding for the state, will begin accepting applications from local governments in the nine most impacted counties to pay up to the 10 percent match to the FEMA cost share for eligible debris removal and emergency protective measures activities.
“We are proud to make Match Program funding available and to continue being a resource that Sandy-impacted communities can rely on until they are fully recovered,” said DCA Commissioner Charles A. Richman.
The State is prepared to fully fund the 10-percent portion for all projects that are deemed eligible for the Match Program. Potentially 405 local government entities may be eligible for reimbursement of their 10 percent cost share for potentially 1,055 Sandy recovery projects. If all eligible local government entities submit applications for all eligible projects, total funding for the Match Program would be approximately $42 million.
Local governments must submit their applications to DCA’s Sandy Recovery Division by October 18, 2016, with appropriate documentation, in order to be considered for Match Program funds. Starting Monday, applications will be available on the Sandy Recovery Program’s website at www.renewjerseystronger.org/communities.
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