Needless delays frustrate thousands of Hurricane Sandy victims still waiting for city aid: investigation
More than 90% of the 14,000 homeowners who submitted applications to the Build It Back program still haven’t received help, two years after the storm, the city Department of Investigation said.
SETH WENIG/APMore than 90% of the 14,000 homeowners who submitted applications still haven’t received help, two years after the storm, the city Department of Investigation said.
Bungling bureaucrats, red tape and needless delays have frustrated thousands of Hurricane Sandy victims seeking help under the city’s Build It Back program, a damning investigation released Thursday found.
More than 90% of the 14,000 homeowners who submitted applications still haven’t received help, two years after the storm, the city Department of Investigation said.
More than 6,000 others have withdrawn their applications or have become “unresponsive” — some out of frustration, and not because they no longer need help, the investigation found.
“Build It Back is an essential program that has not lived up to its full mandate,” DOI Commissioner Mark Peters said.
Improvements have been made since Mayor de Blasio took office Jan. 1, but at the current rate, “it could potentially take several years to complete the work,” the report said.
The investigation uncovered “a multi-layered and confusing application process ... poor communications with applicants ...inefficient processing of applications ... inadequate coordination among vendors and delays in executing construction agreements.”
DEBBIE EGAN-CHIN/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSMore than 90% of the 14,000 homeowners who submitted applications still haven’t received help, two years after the storm, the city Department of Investigation said. Pictured are Mary Beth Sweeney (r.), with her mother Mary Ann Sweeney one year after Hurricane Sandy.
As part of the program’s cumbersome design, homeowners had to participate in multiple meetings at different locations before repair work could begin, making for “a highly drawn out, confusing process.”
One homeowner attended four in-person meetings, got four phone calls from Build It Back claiming his application was missing paperwork, and had to call the program 15 times before getting any benefits.
Another problem: reviews to ensure that only eligible people received help ended up being redundant and delayed the process.
In addition, bureaucrats often lost paperwork or forced homeowners to resubmit documents already filed, and often dragged their feet on getting required agreements signed before repairs could begin.
The report identifies several improvements that have been made, including eliminating redundancies and putting the same city rep in charge throughout a homeowner’s application process. Build It Back officials said they’ve also hired more contractors to further speed up repairs.
DEBBIE EGAN-CHIN/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSImprovements have been made since Mayor de Blasio took office Jan. 1, but at the current rate, 'it could potentially take several years to complete the work,' the report said. Pictured are Mary Beth Sweeney (L.), with her mother Mary Ann Sweeney, in her gutted out ground floor coop in Belle Harbor damaged during Hurricane Sandy.
“Many of the initial concerns outlined in the DOI report are ones the de Blasio administration shared when we came into office, and worked to immediately fix as part of the Build it Back overhaul earlier this years,” said City Hall spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick.
“As DOI identifies in the report, [the housing recovery office] has since made significant improvements and progress — including streamlining the program and adding much-needed flexibility for homeowners, in addition to countless other changes. We have much more work to do, and Build it Back will continue to expedite relief until every homeowner is served.”
Still, although officials portrayed the program as having turned the corner, it appears at least some problems continue.
John Cori, a founder of Friends of Rockaway Beach, said after applying to Build It Back in August 2013, he’s still awaiting repairs on his home on Beach 92nd St. in Queens. This week, he again was told he had to submit additional paperwork before anything could happen.
“It’s a sin what’s going on,” he told the Daily News. “It’s amazing how the paperwork just continues and continues and continues, and so many people are still not back in their homes. It’s so sad.”
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