Applications are open for the latest round of storm damage repair grants from the state of New York, for residents of a number of upstate counties that saw severe weather this summer.
On Monday, the governor’s office announced that the state Division of Homes and Community Renewal has opened up its emergency home repair assistance grant program that will provide up to $50,000 for income-eligible homeowners who saw storms in certified disaster zones damage their homes.
The North Country storms in early August resulted in an early commitment from the state to help homeowners make repairs with the HCR grant program. On Aug. 11, the program was opened for Franklin, St. Lawrence, Steuben and Allegany counties, with officials at the time saying it was likely more communities would be added to the list as the full scale of the damage came into view.
Under the terms of the grant program, homeowners who earn up to their area median income can apply for a one-time grant from the state HCR division. With documented damage, information on insurance assistance and an accounting for a repair project in hand, the state office will provide a grant of up to $50,000, proportionate with the needs of the project, for the homeowner to make repairs to their property. The property to be repaired must be owner-occupied, and the applicant has to show that private insurance and other repair options aren’t available.
Applications for the program can be started at wdt.me/StormGrants, and will be accepted until Oct. 7.
For Franklin, Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Allegany, Delaware and Steuben counties, applicants can apply for a one-time grant if their home was damaged in the storms of Aug. 9 and 10, which were remnant events from storm Debby that caused severe flooding in the North Country and Central New York.
In Lewis, Chautauqua, Madison, Erie, Oneida, Essex, Saratoga and Warren counties, the grant is available for homeowners who saw damage in the July 10-16 storms, when a line of severe thunderstorms swept the northeastern coast as well as the north country, capital region and Central New York, causing widespread wind damage and tornadoes, as well as localized flooding. One person died in Canastota, Madison County, in that storm.
Additionally, the program is open to homeowners in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island for severe weather on Aug. 18 and 19, when a record amount of rainfall hit the island and flooded much of it, even breaching two dams.
The grants are administered by local nonprofit housing groups in the eligible communities, who will contact applicants once they apply. In Franklin County, the local administrator is the county Economic Development Corp. In Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, the administrator is North Country Affordable Housing, and in Oswego the administrator is Home HeadQuarters.
The Lewis County administrator is Snow Belt Housing Company.
“As New Yorkers continue to recover from the damage inflicted by this summer’s storms, we stand ready to assist eligible homeowners who are trying to make their homes safe and habitable,” said RuthAnne Visnauskas, commissioner of Homes and Community Renewal. “Thanks to Governor Hochul and our community partners, we look forward to working with our partners and local communities as homeowners rebuild and repair.”