Murphy Administration Launches Infrastructure Resiliency Program for Communities Impacted by Hurricane Ida

• Posted on: 06/29/2023

‘Resilient Communities Program’ Will Help Ida-Impacted Areas Become More Resilient to Natural Hazards

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has launched the Resilient Communities Program, a Hurricane Ida recovery program that helps local governmental entities such as counties and municipalities make public infrastructure such as roads, drainage systems, and buildings more resilient to current and future natural hazards.

The Resilient Communities Program is the fifth Ida recovery program that DCA has launched and is 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 Hurricane Ida, which hit New Jersey in September 2021.

“In addition to helping local communities recover from Hurricane Ida, we want to lessen the impacts of future disasters by strengthening infrastructure and putting resiliency measures in place,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “The Resilient Communities Program is designed to help local governments achieve these objectives through financial and technical assistance. We strongly encourage cities, towns, and counties that were impacted by Ida to apply for these grant funds.”

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

Eligible applicants include municipalities, counties, special districts, and federally recognized tribal governments within the counties that HUD and the State identified as most impacted and distressed by Hurricane Ida. Those counties are Bergen, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union, and Warren. Each applicant is eligible to apply for no more than one distinct resiliency project. Exceptions to this may be made for multi-jurisdiction applications.

The application period opened on June 28^th and closes on December 15, 2023.

Eligible project activities may include but are not limited to structure elevation; construction or reconstruction of infrastructure; installation of public works and other facilities; structural retrofitting; infrastructure retrofits; property demolition; dry floodproofing; and property acquisition and relocation.

Applications will be scored based on whether the project includes such Resilient Communities Program priorities as:

• Mitigates flooding risk to public infrastructure, people, and property;
• Protects and benefits disadvantaged communities;
• Is a cost-effective solution to natural hazard risk;
• Promotes resiliency through ancillary or triple bottom line benefits (social, environmental, and economic benefits);
• Considers climate change and future conditions;
• Leverages federal, state, and local partnerships;
• Is designed and scoped with public input and meaningful stakeholder engagement;
• Can be feasibly implemented and completed within the budget and timeframe required;
• Incorporates nature-based solutions; and
• Is ready for construction to begin within a short time.   

Local governmental entities can learn more about the program online. They can also email ResilientCommunities@dca.nj.gov for more information.

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 Hurricane Ida Housing Counseling and Legal Services Program remains open. The program 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 Housing Counseling and Legal Services Program online. People can also call (609) 913-4463 or email DRM.HCS@dca.nj.gov for more information about accessing the services.

All of the Ida recovery programs that DCA administers 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 is finalizing 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 in the coming weeks.

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.

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, disaster recovery and mitigation, historic preservation, and information privacy.

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