Bill Streamlines Sandy Recovery
Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation last week allowing the Department of Buildings (DOB) to waive building fees for New Yorkers impacted by Hurricane Sandy and rebuilding or repairing their homes through the Build it Back program.
As described, the legislation will further streamline recovery and expedite the pre-construction process. Proposed by the mayor in the spring, the bill is par tof the overhaul of the city’s post-Sandy recovery programs.
Previously, Build It Back contractors would have to pay DOB fees on behalf of homeowners and then be reimbursed by the City using federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) relief funds. Now, those fees will be waived-eliminating steps that slowed the pre-construction process and freeing up federal relief dollars that can be used to fund additional DOB staff.
This new DOB staff includes inspectors dedicated specifically to Build It Back properties, allowing homeowners to move quicker through the pre-construction process.
These changes complement a variety of other improvements announced this spring, according to de Blasio, including expedited construction and reimbursement processes, expanded eligibility, direct engagement with local communities (including office hours at elected officials’ offices, and a focus on local job creation), and much more.
“We promised to expedite relief for New Yorkers who have been waiting too long-and today is another step toward getting Sandyimpacted families the support they deserve,” said de Blasio last Tuesday, July 1. “By eliminating preconstruction steps while freeing up federal dollars for actual relief, this bill complements the major steps we’ve already taken to streamline Sandy recovery.”
“By partnering with agencies like DOB to waive fees and bring on dedicated staff, we’re able to further expedite the construction process and get New Yorkers impacted by Sandy the relief they need,” said Amy Peterson, Director of the Mayor’s Housing Recovery Office. “Combined with the other major improvements underway, we’re putting Build It Back back on track- getting construction started and checks in the hands of homeowners.”
“Allowing New Yorkers to more quickly rebuild from damages caused by Hurricane Sandy is crucial to the recovery process,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “We’re grateful that the de Blasio administration shares this priority with the Council, and we look forward to continuing a productive dialogue about measures that will best serve New Yorkers still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.”
“We will continue to work together to facilitate a more streamlined construction process, and bring federal dollars directly where they are needed to expedite the rebuilding of areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy,” said Public Advocate Letitia James.
“I applaud Mayor de Blasio for continuing to ensure that families that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy get the assistance they need to rebuild their lives,” said City Council Member Donovan Richards. “The elimination of fees to the Department of Buildings is a step in the right direction to ensuring that this recovery process moves faster.”
“By speeding up the rebuilding process and waiving these fees, we are bringing coastal communities throughout the city one step closer to full restoration,” said City Council Member Eric Ulrich. “The day when people can finally move back home cannot come soon enough.”
Mayor inks education bill
Last Tuesday, de Blasio also signed Intro. No. 12-A, requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to report on demographic and academic information on co-located schools.
These reports will be submitted to the Council annually, beginning on Aug. 30, 2015 and posted to the DOE’s website. The demographic data will include a comparison of race, ethnicity, English Language Learner status, special education status, and percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch in charter and non-charter schools that are co-located. These reports will allow parents and community members to more easily review and assess how co-located schools are performing.
“Having the data that this legislation requires will provide us with a better understanding of the effects that co-locating schools have on school communities,” said City Council Member Daniel Dromm, chair of the Committee on Education. “Knowing the demographics of these co-located schools will help us evaluate the schools’ performance. A dose of sunshine on school co-locations will give us all a better understanding of exactly what is going on in these schools.”
