NEW YORK, NY - December 10, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York residents beginning the rebuilding process will have another opportunity to get expert advice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Beginning on Tuesday, December 11, FEMA mitigation specialists will be at five new locations to offer guidance on ways homeowners can build safer and stronger in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

New York, NY - December 7, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua, and Director of Housing Recovery Operations Brad Gair today announced NYC Housing Recovery, a City initiative to make a pool of vacant apartments available exclusively for New Yorkers that have been displaced from their homes because of Hurricane Sandy. Displaced households will be able to register with the City for assistance in finding short or long-term housing through this new program.

New York, NY - December 6, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has received a $7.1 million National Emergency Grant from the United States Department of Labor to hire residents for post-Sandy recovery jobs in NYCHA developments. The funds will be used to cover the costs for 378 jobs at NYCHA from Caretaker to Community Outreach Worker. New Yorkers in impacted areas who lost employment as a result of Sandy will be given priority for these positions. NYCHA will conduct special outreach to public housing residents in these areas. The temporary job program provides funding assistance for up to six months in response to significant dislocation events like Hurricane Sandy.

NEW YORK, NY - December 6, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- As New Yorkers remain in their homes or begin to consider returning home following Hurricane Sandy, the State of New York and the Federal Emergency Management Agency urge them to be careful, remain safe and plan properly for their future well-being.

New York, NY - December 4, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn today joined Related Companies Chairman Stephen M. Ross and OMERS Investment Committee Chair Bill Aziz to celebrate the start of construction at the Hudson Yards – a 26-acre site that was the single largest piece of undeveloped property in Manhattan now set to become the centerpiece of the historic expansion of midtown Manhattan’s central business district to the west side. Construction commenced today on the first tower, the 1.7 million-square-foot, 47-story South Tower – at the northeast corner of 10th Avenue and 30th Street – the future home of Coach Inc.’s world headquarters.

New York, NY - December 3, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- “The New York City Housing Authority has announced an extension of its moratorium on housing court actions and evictions by one more month for residents living in developments affected by Hurricane Sandy. The moratorium effective, November 15, 2012, will now extend through February 1, 2013. NYCHA management will not start any new housing court actions or perform evictions for residents in affected developments for non-payment; there will be no new 30-day notices to vacate; no new 10-day notices to quit; and existing eviction cases may continue, but adjournments may be granted liberally.”

Albany, NY - December 3, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today warned New Yorkers to protect themselves from home repair scam artists, who will try to take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners who suffered property damage from Storm Sandy.

New York, NY - December 3, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- The New York Fed today released a new interactive tool that provides data on the state of the housing market recovery in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

NEW YORK, NY - December 3, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Don't let the word "business" in the name U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) fool you. If you are a homeowner or renter, the SBA is a primary source of federal funds for long-term recovery.

NEW YORK, NY - December 3, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- People whose property was damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Sandy and are ready to start rebuilding can get advice from experts. Specialists who are knowledgeable in all facets of cleanup and building safer and smarter to avoid future losses will be dispensing guidance free of charge, compliments of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

New York, NY - November 30, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter H. Strickland Jr., today announced that the City will temporarily suspend water bills for customers whose properties were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Residential and commercial properties that the Department of Buildings has tagged red, meaning they are damaged beyond repair or in need of extensive structural repairs, as well as those that have been tagged yellow, meaning that they have less extensive but still significant damage, will not have to make a monthly water bill payment until June 1, 2013.

WASHINGTON, DC - November 29, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a $621 million deal to refinance a previous mortgage at Co-op City, a large cooperative housing community that is home to more than 57,000 residents in the Bronx, New York. Today, HUD and Wells Fargo Bank N.A. closed on the loan that will preserve long-term affordable housing for these families and significantly lower annual interest payments for the building’s owner over the next 35 years. The new mortgage is backed by the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) General Insurance and Special Risk Insurance (GI/SRI) Fund.

New York, NY - November 26, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- From November 15, 2012 through January 1, 2013, NYCHA management staff in developments affected by Hurricane Sandy will not start any new housing court actions or perform evictions for residential tenants as follows

New York, NY - November 21, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Now that electricity, elevators, heat and hot water have been restored in all developments impacted by Hurricane Sandy, the New York City Housing Authority has moved to the next phase of its recovery plan: remediation and repair for individual housing units. NYCHA will clean and remove mold or mildew created by Hurricane Sandy inside individual apartments, in addition to efforts to remove all trash and debris from hallways, stairs and common areas. The work will first be concentrated in NYCHA developments in Far Rockaway and Coney Island where there was significant flooding.

New York, NY - November 19, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement Friday after the General Services Administration issued the needed environmental approvals to allow the $22 million Customs Commercial Building renovations to move forward at the Peace Bridge Plaza

New York, NY - November 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that FEMA will issue Emergency Assistance for New Yorkers whose homes were affected by Hurricane Sandy. At the Governor’s request, FEMA will bring in contractors in order to perform basic repairs so that residents can return to their homes while more long term repairs are in progress. Only residents in the federally-declared counties are eligible to participate in this program. Homeowners in these localities who want to apply for assistance should contact their county or local officials to receive contractor support. Homeowners must be registered with FEMA, which they can do by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362)

New York, NY - November 15, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- New York State, Local and Tribal Governments can now apply for FEMA assistance that may enable families to remain in their storm-damaged homes while permanent repairs are completed, or return to their home while repairs are ongoing.

YONKERS, NY - November 14, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today ordered the Department of Housing & Buildings to waive all permit fees directly relating to the repair of damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. The Mayor also announced an expedited permitting process to prevent delays in critical repair work.

New York, NY - November 12, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- "The first is getting emergency help to the people who need it the most. That's why over the past eight days, distribution sites we've established have provided nearly two million prepared meals, nearly a half-million bottles of fresh water, 110,000 blankets, and other essential supplies to the people who need them most

November 9, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- NYCHA is working to restore power, heat and hot water to developments currently without service due to the storm. During the past week NYCHA has returned heat and hot water to many buildings across the city and is working with the utility companies and other government agencies to restore these essential services to every NYCHA resident as quickly as possible

New York, NY - November 9, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Bloomberg today announced new temporary guidelines to speed heating oil deliveries and boiler repairs that will ensure New Yorkers can heat homes and businesses. As a result of Hurricane Sandy, sufficient quantities of the low sulfur oil required by New York City law have been harder to obtain and distribute. To ensure that New Yorkers have access to heating fuel, the City has temporarily suspended the sulfur limits, which will allow the use of oils with higher sulfur content through December 7th. The City also has streamlined emergency work permits for boiler repairs and replacements to reduce the application timeline by as much as two weeks

WASHINGTON, D.C. - November 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of ongoing efforts to ensure families and individuals impacted by Hurricane Sandy get the support they need, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that the agency is increasing the amount of rental assistance that it may provide eligible disaster survivors in New York and New Jersey. The rental amount, based on existing HUD Fair Market Rates (FMR) for fiscal 2013, is being increased by an additional 25 percent.

New York, NY - November 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Airbnb today announced the launch of a new platform to help connect victims of Hurricane Sandy with free housing options. Airbnb is now providing a platform to connect those who are eager to offer free housing to those who have been displaced by the storm. The entire process will be free, but Airbnb will still provide customer service, insurance for hosts and other services.

GARDEN CITY, NY - November 8, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY4) announced that the amount of temporary rental assistance for storm survivors in her district available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is increasing by 25 percent.

November 6, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano today announced the formation of the Nassau County Recovery Housing Task Force. This Task Force consists of commissioners and staff from the Department of Health, Social Services and Human Services; the Office of Housing and Community Development, as well as representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Army Corps. of Engineers.