Walden provided FEMA claim and grant assistance to a Nassau County Housing Authority in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This public housing authority operates 14 complexes for senior citizens and low income residents. All of the housing complexes suffered storm damage and two in particular experienced significant flood damage due to the storm surge, requiring major restoration and renovation to the facilities. Walden conducted mold and asbestos surveys and coordinated a major asbestos abatement project to address flood damage at one of the complexes. Walden coordinated with FEMA and the client to compile the documentation needed to support the FEMA Public Assistance claims to recover debris removal, emergency protective measures and facility rehabilitation costs in order to maximize reimbursement of costs. Walden also worked with DHSES to help coordinate close-out of the FEMA claims and checked records to ensure that all eligible costs were paid. Ultimately, the Housing Authority received approximately $2.4 million in FEMA Public Assistance funds.
Walden also coordinated with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and submitted project information which qualified the Housing Authority for funding under the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program administered by the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR). The Housing Authority received over $500,000 in CDBG-DR funding for the 10 percent New York State match on FEMA claims, and for payment of damages not covered by FEMA.
Walden investigated grant funding opportunities to maximize funding for storm recovery and mitigation projects. Walden prepared Letters of Intent and grant applications to pursue funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for projects including bulkhead replacement; elevation of boilers, generators and HVAC equipment; and elevation of below grade electrical systems. Walden worked with representatives from GOSR and the Dormitory Authority for the State of New York (DASNY) to propose resiliency upgrades to facilities impacted by Sandy as part of the National Disaster Resilience Competition. Walden worked with the Housing Authority and GOSR to move forward with resiliency measures implemented under the Rebuilding by Design – Living with the Bay project, which represents the potential for several million dollars of additional funding.