Town of Guttenberg Signs Resilient Communities Program Grant Agreement

• Posted on: 01/15/2026

$1.258 Million Grant Will Help Town Improve Flood Control Systems

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced the Town of Guttenberg signed a grant agreement for $1,258,445 in Resilient Communities Program funding to help improve flood control systems. The grant agreement signing marks the first Resilient Communities project to reach this stage of the program, which is aimed at supporting local governments in their efforts to strengthen community infrastructure to withstand future storms.

The Resilient Communities Program is administered by DCA’s Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation and supports projects that reduce risk, enhance preparedness, and promote long-term community resilience. Funding is made possible through federal Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) resources allocated to New Jersey by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Hurricane Ida recovery efforts.

“Resilient Communities is part of the State’s forward-looking strategy to lessen the destructive impacts of storms and flooding events that, unfortunately, are occurring more frequently in New Jersey,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “DCA understands the tremendous value that disaster resilience projects bring to communities. Through grant funding and assistance, we’re helping towns like Guttenberg move these projects forward so they are in a better position to prevent loss of life and property damage.”

“From our work in disaster recovery, we recognize how critical it is for communities to be proactive in disaster prevention,” said DCA Deputy Commissioner Sam Viavattine, who oversees the Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation. “While communities can’t prevent storms from happening, they can certainly strengthen their infrastructure in ways that significantly lessen the impacts of these natural disasters. We are confident that Resilient Communities projects like the one in Guttenberg will make a lasting difference for residents and businesses.”

The Town of Guttenberg’s project includes the construction of a new network of inlets and pipes along the east side of John F. Kennedy Boulevard East between 68th Street and 70th Street. Portions of the existing stormwater system will be demolished and replaced with new inlets, piping, asphalt, curbing, and pavers. The flood control improvements along JFK Boulevard East respond directly to disaster-related risks associated with major storms and the insufficient layout of the existing system.

Municipalities, counties, special districts, and federally recognized tribal governments were eligible to apply for up to $5 million in Resilient Communities grant funding if they are located within the counties that HUD and the State identified as most impacted and distressed by Hurricane Ida, including Bergen, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union, and Warren. DCA announced provisional awards for 10 local governments last year, pending the submission and approval of project-specific deliverables. Guttenberg is the first local government to sign a grant agreement, having received project approvals.

Funding will be provided to Guttenberg on a cost reimbursement basis. Throughout the course of the project, DCA will conduct regularly scheduled site inspections to assess project progress. The project must be completed within three years of grant agreement signing.

DCA’s Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation promotes the long-term resilience of New Jersey’s communities by supporting initiatives to fortify housing, businesses, and infrastructure against severe weather events and flooding damage. The Division also manages the majority of the federal funds used to assist the state in recovering from Hurricane Ida and Superstorm Sandy. These funds come from the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

DCA offers a wide range of other programs and services, including affordable housing production, fire safety, building safety, rent and utility assistance, local planning services, historic preservation, and information privacy. 

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