Murphy Administration Launches First Group of Hurricane Ida Recovery Programs

• Posted on: 02/27/2023

Three Disaster Recovery Programs Starting Today Will Provide Assistance to Renters and Homeowners Impacted by Hurricane Ida

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced that three disaster recovery programs are now available for renters and homeowners who were impacted by Hurricane Ida. The Ida recovery programs launched today are part of the third phase of the Murphy Administration’s Ida Recovery Strategy, which is focused on helping households and communities still in need of assistance from the damaging effects of the storm that hit New Jersey in September 2021.

DCA’s Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation is administering the Ida recovery programs, which are being funded with federal Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) monies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

“We recognize how incredibly disruptive Hurricane Ida’s impacts have been on communities and families who were in the storm’s path,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “We urge people affected by Ida who are still recovering and in need of assistance to apply to the programs that launched today. It is our mission to try and help as many households as we can get back on their feet and on the path to a better, safer housing situation.”

The following programs are now open:

Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program, which helps cover rental housing costs for low-income rental families impacted by Hurricane Ida to make rental housing more affordable. Households must live in one of the following disaster-declared counties: Bergen, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union, and Warren.

TBRA pre-applications are available online. People can also request a TBRA pre-application by calling (609) 913-4252 or by emailing DRM.TBRA@dca.nj.gov. 

TBRA program staff will review pre-applications and refer households that meet eligibility criteria to complete a full application.

Homeowner Assistance Recovery Program (HARP), which provides owner-occupied residential property owners with financial assistance to help them repair, elevate, and, in some cases, rebuild their primary homes that were damaged by Hurricane Ida. Households must have been living in the home and owned the property at the time of the storm. The primary homes must be located in one of the following disaster-declared counties: Bergen, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union, and Warren.

HARP applications are available online. People can also request a HARP application by calling DCA’s Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation constituent services office at (609) 292-3750 or by emailing DisasterRecoveryandMitigation@dca.nj.gov.

Housing Counseling and Legal Services Program, which provides a wide range of supportive services to both renters and homeowners who were impacted by Hurricane Ida to help them recover from the storm. The services include assessing housing needs, reviewing household finances, identifying available resources, and helping people complete applications for disaster recovery programs.

People can learn more about the program online. People can also call (609) 619-4463 or email DRM.HCS@dca.nj.gov for more information about accessing the services.

Additional programs are being developed and will open in the coming months. For more information on DCA’s Ida recovery programs, people can visit https://www.nj.gov/dca/ddrm/programs/ida/index.shtml.

The programs announced today are included in New Jersey’s HUD-approved Hurricane Ida Action Plan for the $228 million in CDBG-DR funding awarded for Ida recovery. The Action Plan was developed in consultation with residents, county and municipal officials, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders in New Jersey, as well as with input DCA received from thousands of people who completed the Hurricane Ida Registration.

People can read the Action Plan in English and Spanish on the DCA website at https://www.nj.gov/dca/ddrm/home/Idaactionplan.shtml. A major goal of the Action Plan is to assist low- and moderate-income households, including minorities, people with limited English proficiency, and people with disabilities, in their recovery from Hurricane Ida. At least 70 percent of the CDBG-DR funds will benefit low- to moderate-income persons or households.

In November 2022, HUD allocated an additional $149 million in CDBG-DR funding to New Jersey to address remaining unmet needs. The State will draft an amendment to the Hurricane Ida Action Plan to specify how the $149 million will be used and will post the amendment for public comment later this year.

The Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation promotes the long-term resilience of New Jersey’s communities by supporting initiatives to fortify housing, communities, and infrastructure against severe weather events and flooding damage. The Division also administers federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding the State of New Jersey has received to recover from natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Ida.

In addition to disaster recovery and mitigation, DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, community planning and development, historic preservation, and information privacy.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: