Community Corner

Town Applying For $2 Million Grant For Flood Buyouts

Funds are needed to help fund a grant from FEMA to acquire homes repeatedly damaged by floods.

The township has applied to the state Department of Environmental Protection to assist in funding a grant to acquire homes that have been repeatedly damaged by flooding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) committed a nearly $18.5 million grant to the township in May, but the township must provide a $2 million match in order to receive the funds.

The funding will be used to purchase approximately 70 previously identified homes that have suffered “severe repetitive losses” due to flood events, Sandy Galecio, director of the township’s Office of Emergency Management, said in a press release issued by the township Friday.

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Participation in FEMA’s Severe Repetitive Loss Program is voluntary on the part of property owners who live in flood prone areas or own property there.

FEMA has prioritized what properties using a formula to develop a cost-analysis ratio.

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“The Wayne OEM applied for the project funding for the purpose of mitigating or reducing risks of future natural disasters,” the press release states. “The voluntary property acquisition program is a form of mitigation [that] permanently removes families and structures from harm’s way.”

Homeowners who choose to participate in the program and qualify for a buyout are given fair market value for their properties. Appraisers determine the fair market value of each property.

Once sold, the township will acquire the title to the property, clear the land of buildings and artificial structures, and level the land, letting nature take over the property form there.

The township  last year from the program to buy out 56 homes in the Hoffman Grove section of Wayne. The money was part of a $28 million grant to municipalities to buy out homes in the Passaic River Flood Basin. 

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.


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