Government Technology
Government Technology: State & Local Government News Articles

Gov. Paterson Commits $15 Million to Flood Relief



Print
Comment

Jul 18, 2008, News Report

Recently, New York Gov. David A. Paterson and Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen announced issuance of a request for proposals (RFP) to the New York State Housing Trust Corporation (HTFC) that would give homeowners the opportunity to relocate from areas vulnerable to flooding. Eligible counties in the Southern Tier and Catskill regions may submit proposals under which they would receive state funding to purchase and demolish eligible homes that have been damaged by floods since April 1, 2004, and are determined to be at future risk.

This request for proposals is a result of action taken by Gov. Paterson and legislative leaders, who announced on April 11 that the Enacted Budget includes $15 million for the Greater Catskills Flood Remediation Program.

"Over the last four years, nine flood events occurred in New York State that resulted in major federal disaster declarations," said Governor Paterson. "It's critical that we help people out of these flood zones so that they can begin rebuilding their lives. The government can then work to revive these areas and protect neighborhoods from future flood damage. We look forward to receiving proposals from eligible counties and moving forward with the process of building new homes for those families who have endured significant flood damage."

"Families in these flood-prone areas need to be spared from further hardship. We're looking forward to getting this funding out to counties so that they can identify homes at future risk and make it possible for families to relocate to safer areas," Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen said.

This initiative will have many positive benefits for New York State. Most importantly, the program will help to remove people and possessions from harm's way in areas that have been hit particularly hard by flooding in recent years. It will also allow for the restoration of flood plains that have been cut off from streams and rivers. Restoring flood plains has the effect of limiting downstream flooding. Finally, the flood remediation program will rebuild prime habitat areas such as wetlands and riparian buffers for aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Among other benefits, wetlands play an important role in flood control, acting like sponges for surface water during heavy rains.

In order to qualify for the program, a home must be the primary residence of the owner with a family income up to 150% of the Area Median Income, as defined by HUD. To make the process of identifying eligible homeowners easier for counties, DHCR has included county-specific income verification forms as part of the RFP. Homes purchased would be condemned and property dedicated for open space, recreational, wetlands, or flood mitigation purposes.

Funding will be administered through the NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation / Division of Housing and Community Renewal to the following counties: Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Herkimer, Montgomery, Orange, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga, and Ulster.


If You Liked This Article, You May Also Like...

Related Products and Services


Latest Government Technology News


Industry Solutions for Government

Read real world deployments of technology in government from our sponsors.

View All Industry Solutions

Marketplace



This section
brought to you by:


Communications and Interoperable Technology Survey

Emergency Management magazine invites you to participate in our Communications and Interoperable Technology Survey. Our 11 questions are very brief and should only take 5 minutes of your time.

Complete our survey now, and enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Dispatch Operations and Interoperability

Webinar: A New Era in Public Safety Wednesday, December 10, 2008 from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PST/2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST


A New Era in Public Safety BlackBerry® smartphones running on Sprint networks deliver a wide range of applications that are transforming public safety operations.


Hurricane Preparedness Tips When a hurricane hits, are you prepared to keep in touch?


Case Study - Morris County, New Jersey The Morris County Communications Center upgraded to a new trunked radio system with the benefits of a cellular network, extending coverage beyond county lines


Case Study - Iredell County, North Carolina Spanning over 570 sq miles, it became imperative that the Iredell County Emergency Communications, Operations and Management extend it's communications systems to enhance reliability, security, and coverage.


Case Study - City of Anaheim, California The City of Anaheim saw an opportunity to leverage existing GST and partner with nearby cities to enhance safety operations through data interoperability.


Case Study - Charlottesville, Virginia Fire Department Taking advantage of a range of interoperability solution, the Charlottesville Fire Department has achieved a network that can serve as backup to their existing public safety network.


Sprint ERT Go-Kit with GST Optima Rapid, interoperable communications for emergencies, drills and field exercises.


Optimal Interoperability Until recently it was not possible to cost effectively connect commercial networks to LMR systems. Improvements in communications technology have resulted in greatly enhanced operational capability and have reduced the log-term cost of communications system ownership.


Multi-agency interoperability for Public Safety Establishing cross-agency, real-time situational awareness is critical to effective incident management as well as daily resource management.


Video


DHS Grant Links

DHS Grants and Assistance Programs Link to overview of available grants administered by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)


Fact Sheet: Fiscal Year 2008 Preparedness Grants Major changes in funding and focus for 2008 DHS grant programs


Remarks on 2008 Homeland Security Grant Guidance DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison


$1.8 billion in DHS Homeland Security Grant Program Awards


Funding Public Safety Communications Whether you are a law enforcement agency, looking for funding to support an interoperable communications solution or a school, seeking to improve communications between building administrators, grants may provide the funding you need to implement a robust, scalable communication system.


Yes! I would like more information about Sprint's dispatch operations and interoperability solutions.