Governor Cuomo & Senator Lanza Annouce $4.4 Billion Total in Federal Disaster Relief Funds for NY Rising for Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee Recovery

$600 Million in Federal Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Relief Funding in Third Allocation

Governor Cuomo and Senator Lanza today announced New York State’s NY Rising programs will be allocated $600 million in the third and final tranche of federal Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) funding, administered through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), for Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee recovery. This allocation brings the total HUD appropriation to $4.4 billion for NY Rising, and $8 billion for all of New York State which includes the allocation of federal funds to New York City for Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts in affected communities within the five boroughs.

“New Yorkers have suffered a tremendous burden in recent years with 100-year storms coming every year. Sandy, Irene and Lee, flash floods and other weather emergencies throughout our State have forced us to be innovative, resourceful and strategic in our recovery efforts,” Governor Cuomo said. “We are grateful to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan for his leadership, and to have been allocated more than $4 billion in Disaster Relief. We will continue to return people to their homes and rebuild New York State communities better, stronger and more resilient than ever before.”

The state will invest the new allocation primarily in infrastructure designed to prepare the state to withstand the impacts of future storms and many projects developed through the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program.

Congress appropriated $50 billion through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, of which $15.8 billion was allocated to HUD for programs which provide individual assistance to homeowners and small businesses, and rebuild and strengthen infrastructure in storm impacted jurisdictions. Governor Cuomo’s Office of Storm Recovery is responsible for administering the CDBG-DR funds through its NY Rising programs. The first tranche was granted to the State in March 2013 for almost $1.8 billion and the second tranche in November 2013 for more than $2 billion.

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