Lautenberg, Menendez Announce More than $15 Million for Disaster Recovery Community Development Block Grants in New Jersey

Newark - U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $15.6 million in funding forCommunity Development Block Grant(CDBG)Disaster Recovery Assistanceto repair damagefrom Hurricane Irene and other natural disasters.

"Hurricane Irene and other natural disasters caused extreme damage throughout the statelast yearand hard-working New Jerseyfamilies and communitiesare stillworking to recover,"said Senator Lautenberg, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, which funds HUD."Thesegrants willhelpsome ofthe hardest hit areas of the statemake critical repairs. I am proud to have helped securethisfederal disaster relief funding so that resources are availablefor Passaic County andcommunities around the state as they rebuild."

"The devastation Hurricane Irene caused New Jersey residents was unprecedented, and this federal funding will bring relief to so many whose homes and businesses were destroyed or severely damaged,"said Senator Menendez."I am so pleased we were able to help secure these critical resources for families and communities in Passaic County and throughout our great state."

These grants will be distributed to local communities based on a HUD formula that relies on the severity of the storm damage and repairs not undertaken by other federal agencies such as FEMA. At least 80 percent will go to Passaic County, which was severely flooded,and the state will work with HUD to allocate the remaining funds. Funding can be used for a widerange of activities,including buyingout damaged property, payments to people and businesses displaced by the disaster, debris removal, rehabilitating homes and public infrastructure, support for homeowners and helping businesses retain or create jobs.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Lautenberg has led the effort to secure critical disaster relief funding for New Jersey. Following Hurricane Irene in September, Senators Lautenberg and Menendez were joined by 10 of their colleagues insending a letterto Senate leadership requesting comprehensive federal disaster aid for HUD and other agencies.

In November 2011, President Obamasigned into a lawa measure thatprovides$400millionfor CDBGDisaster Recoverygrants through HUD.

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