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In 2004 the town received a grant to lift up homes on Babbitt Court and placed them onto stilts. Town has till June to submit grant application to FEMA.
LINK TO YESTERDAYS TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION- LIFTING UP HOMES GRANT APPLICATION.
In 2004 the Army Corps of Engineers raised seven homes on Babbitt Court and placed the homes onto stilts. (see NY Times June 20, 2004). The initiative helped residents who live near the Saw Mill River avoid significant property damage since that time after heavy rains, storms.
The Greenburgh Town Board met yesterday afternoon to discuss a grant application with FEMA to lift up additional homes that always experience significant property damage after heavy storms. In recent months town officials have had discussions with State Homeland Security and FEMA officials via zoom to discuss grant opportunities that we can take advantage of that will help residents who live in homes that always suffer major flooding to lift up homes.. Newly opened grant opportunities opened on March 1st.
In the fall, shortly after Hurricane Ida and our survey in which the Supervisor’s office collected a list of 39 residences who wanted to opt into home-lifting help if possible - we purposely passed by a national grant competition we couldn’t meet with only a few weeks before the deadline and greater competition nationally.
We knew at the time – as advised by FEMA – that it was best to hold out for a state-administered FEMA competition that would open in the spring, so here we are. We knew there are two grants due on the same date – it’s actually the exact same application for both. One is for Ida. We learned in the fall that homeowners couldn’t apply for FEMA aid to lift their homes on their own, but that it would have to be community-administered (by the Town.) At the time the terms were different – 25% due from the homeowner on the cost, with 75% grant coverage. But now it’s better – 90% grant, 10% homeowner. The town has to administer all of this (dole out grant money, collect from homeowners.)
We have recently been behind the scenes analyzing the homes on the list to see who might qualify. Of 39 interested homeowners who filled out the survey for us after Ida, it’s likely only a group of 6 homeowners it actually works for – mostly on Babbit Court - since there’s a requirement for a preexisting study to back it up.
We are reaching out to FEMA to find out if residents who live in other sections of town that always experience flooding can also apply for a FEMA grant to lift up homes/ Specifically, residents who live near Troublesome Brook in Edgemont and Manhattan Brook in Fairview have also expressed interest in obtaining for grants to lift up their homes. We had thought that they would only be eligible if a study is completed. Westchester County is expected to advise the town in a week if they will contribute county funds towards a study -which will include recommendations for flood mitigation. Obviously that study has not yet been completed but residents in the proposed study area always get flooded.
The Town Board will provide another update on this matter tonight after 5:30 PM. The Town must submit applications by June 1 to be considered by FEMA.
Paul Feiner
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
Here’s the zoom - https://youtu.be/-PRHOK1QQCo
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