Many Waiting For Cash To Rebuild
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder is urging Mayor Michael Bloomberg to present a reasonable timeline for disbursement of approximately $1.77 billion provided to New York City in federal relief assistance.
Residents and families throughout Southern Queens and Rockaway that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy are in desperate need of additional funding and require more information to better determine their rebuilding and recovery options.
“We keep hearing billions of dollars in relief assistance that is being set aside for our community and yet months after the storm and we are still waiting,” said Goldfeder. “We understand that the process of allo- cating such funds could take time, but we must be given a reasonable timeline when to expect assistance in order to plan and make appropriate arrangements.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate approved more than $50 billion in aid to states and $1.77 billion was to New York City. Bloomberg announced plans to disburse the funding through several city programming initiatives, including assistance for housing of single and multi-family homes, business grants, and rebuilding infrastructure; however there is no time line for when the money will be allocated to fund these initiatives and provide much needed relief to the victims of Sandy.
“Many families are struggling to figure out the next step in their recovery because they are not sure when help will arrive,” added Goldfeder. “I applaud the comprehensive programs and approach that the mayor has proposed, but we must be given a realistic timeline regarding the availability of additional federal assistance, so our families can better plan and residents and can get their lives back to normal.”
