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opens in a new windowSandy survey wants the ‘truth’ from NJ storm victims – Dino Flammia, NJ 101.5
If your home suffered damage from Superstorm Sandy, your input is needed in a statewide survey that seeks the “truth” about lingering issues and the toll it’s taken on New Jersey residents.
In 2013, a home rests in Barnegat Bay, in Mantoloking, where it was swept to by Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)Officially known as the Sandy Truth Project, the partnership between New Jersey Organizing Project, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice and Rutgers University, is hoping to gather 500 to 800 responses from Sandy victims, either online or by canvassing storm-affected neighborhoods.
“We definitely want to dive in deep and we’re looking for details,” said Joe Mangino, cofounder of New Jersey Organizing Project, a nonprofit devoted to Sandy survivors.
So respondents won’t just be asked if they’re back home and happy with the recovery money they may have received. The survey seeks to learn who was a victim of contractor fraud, and how, or who’s been contacted by the state to return some of the funds they received to rebuild.
Reports in October cited more than 170 homeowners who received notices demanding that money be repaid due to duplicative benefits.
Mangino said he’s working on legislation with lawmakers to deal with “clawback” letters.
If your home suffered damage from Superstorm Sandy, your input is needed in a statewide survey that seeks the “truth” about lingering issues and the toll it’s taken on New Jersey residents.
In 2013, a home rests in Barnegat Bay, in Mantoloking, where it was swept to by Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)Officially known as the Sandy Truth Project, the partnership between New Jersey Organizing Project, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice and Rutgers University, is hoping to gather 500 to 800 responses from Sandy victims, either online or by canvassing storm-affected neighborhoods.
“We definitely want to dive in deep and we’re looking for details,” said Joe Mangino, cofounder of New Jersey Organizing Project, a nonprofit devoted to Sandy survivors.
So respondents won’t just be asked if they’re back home and happy with the recovery money they may have received. The survey seeks to learn who was a victim of contractor fraud, and how, or who’s been contacted by the state to return some of the funds they received to rebuild.
Reports in October cited more than 170 homeowners who received notices demanding that money be repaid due to duplicative benefits.
Mangino said he’s working on legislation with lawmakers to deal with “clawback” letters.
The survey also targets the lingering economic and health impacts of the October 2012 storm.
“We know a lot of people suffered mentally from this with PTSD and other issues,” Mangino said. “And many people may now be back home but their home is facing foreclosure because they’ve exhausted everything they had just to get back into their house.”
The survey will run for another two months or so, Mangino said. Members in January will canvas neighborhoods in Little Egg Harbor and Beach Haven. There are also plans to speak with residents of Brick, Toms River and northern Monmouth County.
“We want to be able to take action,” Mangino said. “We’re doing this survey to uncover what are the next things we need to work on.”
I am a victim of fraud by the State. Just because my cdl drivers license stated I lived in Hunderton county I lost my grant and have to pay back. If I didnt have a drivers license I would of won my case.
Even though my divorse attorny ordered me not to change anything in April of 2012 because she said its comon matrinonial law not to.
They accepted my drivers license when I applied for grant stating they understood about my divorse and gave me a grant. Now they are making me pay it back and I am still struggling to keep my childeren in school and to make my home safe again
I supplied legal and positive proof it was my primary home as of April 12th 2012.
Even my mail man knew my situation so he wrote me an affadavit of him delivering my divorse documents by mail.
I am aware of other people in my gray area that won ther case without even an attorny.
Someone needs to correct this gray area as history is known to repeat itself.