Superstorm Sandy – Additional Grant Dollars

Gov. Cuomo has announced that $200 million in funding is available to assist health care, human service providers and other community-based organizations impacted by Superstorm Sandy. The administration’s official press release on the new funding is available by clicking here.

According to the press release, the funding is made available by the federal Superstorm Sandy Supplemental Social Services Block Grant and is designed to cover necessary expenses resulting from the storm, including social, health and mental health services for individuals, and for repair, renovation and rebuilding of health care facilities, mental hygiene facilities, child care facilities and other social services facilities.

The press release quotes the governor as stating:

“During and after Superstorm Sandy, New York State’s health and human service providers performed critical work for New Yorkers, and they continue to be essential resources to communities recovering from the storm,” Gov. Cuomo said. “These organizations serve the needs of many of the State’s most vulnerable residents including our seniors, children and low-income families, and in their line of work, they have also suffered financial losses and damage to their facilities from the storm. This funding will provide the support they need to continue helping their communities, and I urge those impacted to apply for this assistance.”

Detailed information on the application of the funding includes:

Unreimbursed costs of facility repair, rebuilding and renovation for child care providers, health and mental hygiene facilities, senior centers and similar facilities, and other health and human services facilities in response to Superstorm Sandy, including measures to make damaged facilities more resilient for future severe weather events.
Reimbursement for child care, health, mental health, behavioral health, employment, senior-focused and other direct service delivery costs and costs of lost and damaged materials and supplies incurred as a result of Superstorm Sandy.
Reimbursement to food banks, food pantries and related organizations and public agencies for costs resulting from increased demand for food relief during and following Superstorm Sandy.
Enhanced child care, food/nutrition, health, mental health, behavioral health, employment, legal, senior-focused, volunteer coordination, case management and other direct services to meet the ongoing needs of Sandy-impacted New Yorkers.
Equipment and supplies required to deliver enhanced services in Sandy-impacted areas.
Other eligible health and social services costs incurred during Sandy as well as ongoing needs from facilities and other providers.

Official information about available funding, and a link to the online application, is available at
http://nysandyhelp.ny.gov/content/sandy-social-services-block-grant-ssbg-funding.

Contact: Patrick Cucinelli, pcucinelli@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8827