More Than $29 Million to Reimburse NJ Human Services for Recovery Efforts

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) announced on Nov. 16 more than $29 million in federal funding to reimburse the State of New Jersey for emergency recovery efforts in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. The funding, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program, will help cover costs that the New Jersey Department of Human Services incurred while providing temporary housing and resources for electrical crews working to restore power.
“When Sandy struck New Jersey, state and local agencies acted without hesitation to save lives and help residents in need. This federal funding will help reduce the cost burden on the state and ultimately for New Jersey residents,” said Lautenberg, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds FEMA. “As New Jersey recovers, we will keep working in Washington to rebuild our state even stronger and ease expenses that the state and local governments, families and businesses incurred in Sandy’s aftermath.”
“I’m pleased that FEMA has moved so quickly to reimburse our state for most of the costs associated with providing temporary shelter and resources for the thousands of electrical workers who came to help us from across the nation,” said Senator Menendez. “We will continue to make sure Washington is listening to our needs and moving swiftly to ensure New Jersey recovers fully from superstorm Sandy.”
FEMA is reimbursing the New Jersey Department of Human Services for the following costs:
• $4,398,750 for 8,000 out-of-state utility workers housed at Monmouth Racetrack and facilities in Linden Nov. 15-17 (three days).
• $22,785,000 for 8,000 out-of-state utility workers housed at Monmouth Racetrack and facilities in Linden Oct. 30-Nov. 14 (15 days).
• $1,831,183 to accommodate 500 staff members at the Monmouth Racetrack Care Shelter that housed more than 725 displaced New Jersey residents.
These amounts include costs for mobile sleeping units, medical units, vehicles, and food.
Lautenberg and Menendez are leading the fight in the Senate to increase the federal cost coverage of recovery efforts to 90 percent and ease the burden on state and local governments rebuilding from Superstorm Sandy. Lautenberg recently joined with several of his colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama requesting that the federal government provide 90 percent of costs incurred by state and local governments during the storm.