NYC BUILD IT BACK Newsletter

As NYC Build it Back is working hard to get New Yorkers back into safe and sustainable housing as quickly as possible, we want to provide you with some recent program highlights and updates. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. In this newsletter: Program Update Presentation Build It Back Visits Broad Channel Top Customer Service FAQs FEMA Proposes New Flood Maps BIB Center Holiday Schedule  Program Update Presentation NYC Build it Back has developed an informative presentation with general updates about the program. Please click here for the presentation. The presentation includes information on the program schedule, applicant prioritization, damage assessments, constructions options, and more. Program Director Kathryn Mallon and senior staff from Build it Back have and will continue to present this information to affected communities throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, as well as to community partners in the recovery process.   Build it Back Visits Broad Channel In partnership with local organizations, NYC Build it Back has participated in a series of local community engagement sessions to update NYC Build it Back registrants about our program. Hosted by the Broad Channel Civic Association on December 12th, NYC Build it Back Program Director Kathryn Mallon gave a presentation about application priority, damage assessments, and more. Registrants also had the opportunity to speak directly with staff at breakout tables to ask about the status of their application.   Top 3 Customer Service FAQs Our customer representatives play an integral role for Build It Back, serving as the main point of contact for many of our customers. Here are the top three questions they recently received:  I was asked to submit more documents. Did you get them? Applicants may have received a detailed letter in the mail or a call from NYC Build it Back letting them know that they need to submit additional documentation. If you have received a letter or call and have submitted the additional documents that we need, thank you! It may take up to up to two full weeks to update our system. We will follow up with you only if we need additional information. You may submit additional documents at a NYC Build it Back Center by email, fax or direct mail: Email: builditbackdocuments@recovery.nyc.gov Fax: (855) 212-1912 Mail: 14 Murray Street #150, New York, NY 10007 Why do I need to submit more documents?  There are a number of reasons that applicants are asked to submit more documents. Some examples are:  Applicants have submitted documents that did not meet NYC Build it Back’s requirements. For example, to verify your identity, applicants are required to submit a state or federally issued form of identification, like a passport, driver’s license, military ID or permanent residence card. Applicants may not have completed required forms correctly. For example, co-applicants (persons who are also on the deed) may be required to sign Program forms unless they have executed a Power of Attorney. Applicants may not have submitted all identification that is required. For example, co-applicants also need to submit identification. We may have contacted applicants more than once about additional documentation. We are sorry to do this and thank you for your patience as we work to assist everyone. For more information about these documents, please visit the Important Documents section of www.nyc.gov/recovery. When will NYC Build it Back complete my damage assessment? NYC Build it Back is prioritizing assistance to Priority 1 applicants.   Of the approximately 12,000 Priority 1 applicants, 1,000 damage assessments have been completed as of November, and more are being completed every day.  We appreciate your patience and will be in touch with you soon to schedule an appointment.   Priority 1 applicants will begin the Repair or Rebuild construction process in early 2014. At current funding levels, we anticipate that we will be able to assist Priority 2 applicants in summer 2014. If you are a Priority 1 applicant that has not yet had a damage assessment, you can expect a call to schedule one in the coming weeks. Please keep in mind that you must have submitted all of your required documents before we can conduct a damage assessment on your home. If you are a Priority 2 or 3 applicant, you can expect a damage assessment in 2014. For important information about how priority is determined, please review thisPriority Fact Sheet.   FEMA Proposes New Flood Maps New York’s coastline stretches 520 miles, and these coastal areas have a high risk of flooding during a storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) produces Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), which identify areas that are at risk of flooding.  Areas are assigned different zones depending on the level of flood risk. The Effective FIRMs for New York City are from 2007. On December 5, 2013 FEMA released Preliminary FIRMs for New York City as well as the Preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS), a narrative report of the city’s flood hazard. These maps and study replace FEMA’s interim Preliminary Work Maps that were released in June 2013 to inform rebuilding post-Hurricane Sandy.  The coastal flood risk reflected in the maps has not changed. The issuance of the Preliminary FIRMs and FIS marks the first step in the regulatory review process, which includes a public comment period followed by a statutory 90-day appeals period before the maps are adopted by the City as new Effective FIRMs.  Members of the public can submit comments atwww.nyc.gov/floodmaps. The City will compile the comments and pass them on to FEMA, who will review the comments. The Preliminary FIRMs do not impact flood insurance rates, but they do depict areas that will require flood insurance in the near future, when these maps become effective.  Once the Preliminary FIRMs are finalized and adopted, expected in 2015, property owners whose buildings are located within the 100-year floodplain will be required by FEMA to carry flood insurance if they have a mortgage from a Federally-backed lender. Flood insurance rates are determined by FEMA and are based on the zone in which a structure (i.e., house, office, business, etc.) is located and the relationship between the lowest occupied floor (i.e., basement apartment, first floor of a house, etc.) and the potential flood height as indicated on the maps, among other factors. In the meantime, Local Law 96, which goes into effect January 6, 2014, requires all new and substantially improved structures in the updated floodplain to be built to the standards reflected in the Preliminary FIRMs.  This helps preserve our coastal communities by ensuring that homes and businesses are built to withstand flooding and by reducing potential future flood insurance costs. The new maps can be accessed in a number of places: FEMA’s Map Service Center: www.fema.gov/preliminaryfloodhazarddata FEMA Region 2’s website: www.region2coastal.com FEMA Region 2’s geoportal: http://apps.femadata.com/PreliminaryViewer/?appid=687703427dd347018b8fa2bb0adee979 Build It Back Center Holiday Schedule December 24th – Open until 2:00pm December 25th – CLOSED December 31st – Open until 2:00pm January 1st – CLOSED        Inclement Weather Notice: NYC Build it Back Centers will close if NYC public schools close due to inclement weather conditions.