One year after Hurricane Sandy devastated coastal regions in the northeast, 39% of all households in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut reporting damage to their home or building after the storm has not been fully repaired, while only 55% of FEMA registrants in N.Y. and N.J. had their homes inspected for damage, according to two new reports released today by Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise), the nation's leading provider of affordable housing and community development capital and expertise.
The first report, "Hurricane Sandy: Housing Needs One Year Later," summarizes the findings of an October 2013 survey to measure the ongoing impact of the storm on residents in the Tri-State Area a year after the storm. It highlights Hurricane Sandy's impact on residents' homes, health, and income, and looks specifically at the impact on renters and low-income households. The second report, "FEMA Assistance Analysis" is an update of a March report that examined the need for FEMA assistance regionally. In addition to identifying the characteristics of registrants who still need assistance, it includes information about inspections and aid approvals for those who registered for assistance through FEMA's Individual and Households Program (IHP).
Key findings from "Hurricane Sandy: Housing Needs One Year Later" include:
* 50% of low-income households and 50% of renters who reported damage to their homes or buildings from the storm have not been fully repaired;
* 32% of renter households in damaged buildings said that they wanted to move out following the storm, but were forced to remain because of their lease agreements;
* 14% of households in the Tri-State Area reported experiencing anxiety, fear, or other forms of distress as a result of Sandy, 32% of whom continue to experience those issues one year later;
* 40% of renters reported experiencing anxiety, fear, or other forms of distress as a result of Sandy, compared to only 26% of owners;
* 8% of households reported experiencing physical health problems as a result of Sandy, 39% of whom continue to experience those problems one year later;
* 8% of households in the Tri-State Area experienced job or income loss as a result of Hurricane Sandy; and
* 49% of those who experienced job/income loss reported inability to get to and from work as a cause.
Key findings from the "FEMA Assistance Analysis" report include:
* The number of registrants for FEMA assistance grew by only 8,504 (1.6%) between February and June 2013.
* 55% of all registrants had their homes or properties inspected for damage. The inspection rate did not differ substantially between owners (58%) and renters (52%).
* About 61% of those inspected (178,095 registrants) were approved by FEMA for assistance through IHP. The average award approved was $7,787.
* As of June 26, FEMA had approved a total of $1.4 billion in IHP assistance in NY and NJ. Owner registrants were awarded $1.1 billion of that total, while renter registrants were awarded $323 million.
"The resident survey and latest analysis of FEMA data both indicate that families in the Tri-State Area are still trying to put their lives together one year after Hurricane Sandy," said Shola Olatoye, vice president and New York market leader, Enterprise. "With a better understanding of where families stand, we hope that both the private and public sectors will focus on providing families with the financial, technical, and supportive resources they still need to help increase resiliency and stabilize communities."
"Hurricane Sandy: Housing Needs One Year Later" is based on a survey of a representative sample of households in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and was commissioned by Enterprise to YouGov, a nationally recognized polling research firm. Enterprise will publish a series of reports and extensive analysis of the survey data over the next few months.
"FEMA Assistance Analysis" is based on data FEMA collected through June 2013 and released in August 2013.
The reports are part of Enterprise's ongoing response to Hurricane Sandy that bridges immediate response and long-term resilience. Building on its history and experience of rebuilding nearly 10,000 homes in the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, Enterprise is working:
* To ensure adequate public and private resources to rebuild in Sandy-affected communities, especially those with low- and moderate-income residents, effectively and efficiently;
* To support the sustainable, resilient redevelopment of existing affordable housing in vulnerable areas; and
* To support community-based organizations in developing disaster preparedness. Tags: