Blue Acres to Accept HUD-funded Buyout Eligibility Applications from Authorized Homeowners

Last modified on November 27th, 2024 at 2:21 pm

January 5, 2024

Flooding in New Jersey after Ida in September 2021. Photo Credit: Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Blue Acres will soon again be accepting HUD Buyout Eligibility Applications from homeowners, in consultation with the NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation (DDRM) and the NJ Governor’s Disaster Recovery Office. Blue Acres administers HUD Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for buyouts in accordance with the Hurricane Ida Action Plan.

Eligible homeowners who have submitted a Blue Acres Application for Acquisition will be invited to submit a secondary application specifically to determine eligibility for a HUD-funded buyout. Blue Acres will analyze all completed applications and develop a buyout plan, in partnership with DCA, to ensure full use of the HUD CDBG-DR funding. Blue Acres most recently conducted application intake rounds for HUD-funded buyouts in Spring 2023 and Fall 2023, and has proposed eligible applicants for buyout funding.

The HUD Buyout Eligibility Application is designed to determine whether willing seller homeowners meet HUD’s income eligibility criteria established for a HUD-funded buyout. Not all homeowners who complete the HUD Buyout Eligibility Application are expected to be deemed eligible for a HUD CDBG-DR buyout. Homeowners who are deemed eligible based on their completed HUD application will be notified and proposed for a Blue Acres buyout funded by HUD at a later date. All other homeowners interested in a Blue Acres buyout will be carried forward for future buyout planning and grant making opportunities. Here is a fact sheet on Blue Acres buyouts funded by HUD.

More Details:

Homeowners will be invited to complete the HUD Buyout Eligibility Application if they meet the criteria below, which are guided by HUD’s spending requirements and national objectives:

The homeowner expresses interest in a buyout by submitting a Blue Acres Application for Acquisition and provides an e-mail address in connection with the application.
The buyout property is in a county declared “Most Impacted and Distressed” after Ida in September 2021: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset, Union, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Warren.
The buyout property is in a Low-to-Moderate Income census block group, according to HUD data.

Blue Acres staff are available to directly assist homeowners with application questions and concerns. For technical issues with the HUD Buyout Eligibility Application online applications, please contact blueacres@njdepwptest.net and include screenshots of any error messages if applicable.

Hurricane Ida Recovery Community Meeting in Manville on March 14, 2023.

To prepare for the intake of HUD Buyout Eligibility Applications, Blue Acres conducted outreach for Ida-impacted communities (focused on promoting awareness of disaster recovery assistance available through programs funded by HUD CDBG-DR), including hosting two virtual events for residents of Manville, who were particularly hard-hit. The virtual sessions hosted partners at DCA, Navicore, and a nonprofit disaster recovery organization. Learn more about additional Ida recovery programs that DCA is administering. Blue Acres also continues to conduct outreach to communities impacted by flooding events more recent than Ida.

All state led buyouts via Blue Acres must be from willing sellers, and homeowners can express their voluntary interest to sell by completing and submitting a Blue Acres Application for Acquisition online or via post mail. More details about the Blue Acres program are available on the website.

Blue Acres prepares and submits buyout funding requests on an ongoing basis to various federal sources with differing homeowner eligibility requirements. Blue Acres buyouts are completely voluntary, meaning interested homeowners may submit a buyout application or opt out at any time without incurring penalties.

Public Notice: Emergency and Disaster Declarations FEMA-DR-4488-NJ

Last modified on November 16th, 2023 at 11:20 am

October 18, 2023

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is giving public notice of its intent to provide financial assistance to the State of New Jersey, local governments, and private nonprofit organizations under the national emergency and the disaster declarations issued by the President for the State of New Jersey on March 13 and March 25, 2020, respectively, as a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”). FEMA is also giving public notice that, in some cases, it may provide financial assistance for activities that may affect historic properties, may be located in or affect wetland areas or the 100-year floodplain, and/or may involve critical actions within the 500-year floodplain.

I. Overview of Authorized Assistance

The President declared on March 13, 2020 that an emergency exists nationwide and subsequently declared on March 25, 2020 that a disaster exists in the State of New Jersey pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Pub. L. No. 93-288 (1974) (codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. § 5121 et seq.) (“Stafford Act”) as a result of COVID-19 beginning on January 20, 2020 and continuing. FEMA has administratively numbered the declaration for the State of New Jersey as FEMA-DR-4488-NJ. Under this declaration, FEMA will provide financial and/or direct assistance to the State of New Jersey under Hazard Mitigation Program as authorized by Section 502 of the Stafford Act.

II. Public Notice – Assistance for Activities Located in or that Affect Wetlands Areas or Floodplains or that Affect Historic Properties

Some of the activities for which FEMA provides assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Program may affect historic properties, may be located in or affect wetland areas or the 100-year floodplain, and/or may involve critical actions within the 500-year floodplain. In those cases, FEMA must comply with Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management; Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands; the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 54 U.S.C. § 300101 et seq.) (“NHPA”); and the implementing regulations at 44 C.F.R. pt. 9 (Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands) and 36 C.F.R. pt. 800 (Protection of Historic Properties). The executive orders, NHPA, and/or regulations require FEMA to provide public notice for certain activities as part of approving the award of assistance for specific Hazard Mitigation projects.

A. Federal Actions in or Affecting Floodplains and Wetlands

Executive Orders 11988 and 11990 require that all federal actions (including federal awards of financial assistance) in or affecting the floodplain or wetlands be reviewed for alternatives to avoid adverse effects and incompatible developments in those areas. The regulations at 44 C.F.R. pt. 9 set forth the FEMA policy, procedure, and responsibilities for implementing the Executive Orders. Certain actions are totally excluded from being covered by 44 C.F.R. pt. 9, such as certain emergency protective measures necessary to save lives and protect property and public health.

For those actions not excluded from 44 C.F.R. pt. 9, FEMA will identify and evaluate practicable alternatives to carrying out a proposed action that impacts or is impacted by wetlands or floodplain and use social, economic, historic, environmental, legal, and safety factors when analyzing the practicability of the alternatives. Where there is no practicable alternative, FEMA will undertake a detailed review to determine what measures can be taken to minimize potential harm to lives and risk from flooding, the potential adverse impacts the action may have on others, and the potential adverse impact the action may have on floodplain and wetland values. The public is invited to participate in the process of identifying alternatives and analyzing their impacts. Other Hazard Mitigation projects will undergo more detailed review, including an evaluation of practicable alternatives and FEMA may publish subsequent public notices regarding such projects as necessary as more information becomes available.

B. Federal Actions Affecting Historic Properties

Section 106 of the NHPA requires FEMA to consider the effects of its activities (known as “undertakings”) on any historic property and to afford the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment on such projects before the expenditure of any federal funds. A Hazard Mitigation project is an “undertaking” for the purposes of the NHPA and a historic property is any property that is included in, or eligible for inclusion in, the National Register of Historic Places. For historic properties that will not be adversely affected by FEMA’s undertaking, this will be the only public notice. It will also be the only public notice if the work is an immediate rescue and salvage operation to preserve life and property (36 C.F.R. § 800.12(d)) or falls within the list of programmatic allowances set forth in the Programmatic Agreement among FEMA, the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Officer, and the State of New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. FEMA may, for other projects, provide additional public notices if a proposed FEMA undertaking would adversely affect a historic property.

III. Further Information or Comment

This will be the only public notice regarding the actions described above for which FEMA may provide assistance under the Public Assistance Program. Interested persons may obtain information about these actions in your municipality from your local office (village, borough, town, etc.) or a specific FEMA funded project you are aware of by writing to the following:

Federal Emergency Management Agency
Environmental & Historic Preservation
285 Fulton Street (One World Trade)
Suite 53
New York, NY 10007

Or send an e-mail to: FEMAR2COMMENT@fema.dhs.gov

All comments concerning this public notice must be submitted in writing to FEMA within 15 days of its publication.

Buyout Info Sessions in Manville Borough

Last modified on November 16th, 2023 at 11:18 am

NJDEP’s Blue Acres Program along with NJDCA will be hosting two virtual buyout information sessions for Manville homeowners from 5:30pm to 7:30pm on October 5th and October 10th.

The event will provide an opportunity for homeowners to virtually connect one-on-one with buyout program staff, housing counselors, and representatives from the United Methodists of Greater New Jersey, a long-term disaster recovery group.

Both events are identical and will provide homeowners with an opportunity to speak with staff one-on-one to have their questions answered and to get connected to relevant resources. Manville homeowners, particularly those impacted by the Risk Reduction Area policy, are encouraged to attend.

Click here to register for the October 5th session.

Click here to register for the October 10th session.

Manville Borough’s Flood Risk Reduction Policy

Last modified on November 18th, 2024 at 3:36 pm

Update November 18, 2024

Manville Borough’s Flood Risk Reduction Policy is a state-led framework that prioritizes risk avoidance and resilience, guiding the use of post-Ida recovery investments to align with New Jersey’s hazard mitigation priorities: saving lives and protecting property.

Navigating Risk: Flooding and Mitigation in Manville NJ, is a tool for Manville homeowners and prospective Manville homeowners. This tool allows residents to easily check if their property is within a designated Disaster Risk Reduction Area (DRRA) using a built-in search function—simply enter an address to see its location on the map. The StoryMap also educates the public about Manville’s Flood Risk Reduction policy by exploring the borough’s history of flooding, the devastation caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida in September 2021, and the factors contributing to the designation of DRRAs.

August 7, 2023

A state-led, risk and resilience-centered decision framework has been established to drive the use of post-Ida recovery investments in Manville Borough to support the state’s hazard mitigation priorities of saving life first and protecting property.

Click image to open full size copy in new tab.

Under this framework, buyouts will be the only recovery option offered if:

The property is in a disaster risk area (light purple area), which is defined as areas that experienced significant flood inundation in or around the structure during Ida (approx. 5.5’ ft or more of water) and/or the property is within the Lost Valley neighborhood which was deemed unsafe during storm and flood events due to access and egress limitations. See the map denoting these areas.
The property is a residential home; and
The property has not received buyout grant approval under an approved or pending federal grant application, and the property is not part of a state funded buyout already in progress.

Homeowners that meet these requirements will be prioritized to ensure that properties that have been formally declared Substantially Damaged because of Ida and households that meet the HUD CDBG-DR low to moderate income (LMI) prerequisite are offered buyout assistance.

Eligible homeowners meeting the defined criteria, who have applied for assistance through DCA’s HMGP and CDBG-DR funded elevation and repair programs will only be offered federal buyout funding and are encouraged to consider a voluntary Blue Acres buyout.

If a homeowner declines a state or federally funded buyout, funding for a state or federally funded elevation or repair assistance will not be offered as an alternative.

Inundation data and safety concerns
The decision support tools developed to inform this policy include: Ground-based LiDAR, an Ida depth grid and flood model. The State undertook an analysis of water depths and evacuation routes relative to the Ida flood event over time, including data on safe driving and walking flood depths. The final policy reflects the State’s desire to not increase risk to residents by making investments in protecting physical property (elevating and repairing structures). Waterborne rescues were heavily relied upon in 2021. Proactively assisting the population at risk through permanent mitigation is necessary to ensure the safety and wellness of the entire community.

The Lost Valley section of Manville is significantly constrained; it has only two evacuation points at Kyle Street and Bridge Street. Based on the Ida flood simulations developed by Rutgers University for NJOEM, the evacuation window in Lost Valley is hazardous given the population living in the area. Once flooding exceeds 2-3′ ft here, only waterborne rescues are possible.

Under this policy it is not the State’s intent to infringe on the property rights of any individual property owners. The buyouts-only policy was developed in response to the flood risk and geographic constraints of certain Manville locations, and it builds on existing Borough buyout plans. Safety is the State’s primary concern. Elevating structures in these risky areas may reduce property loss but it will not address health and safety concerns. Elevations will only incentivize people to remain in an inaccessible, flood-vulnerable area, increasing risk to themselves and to first responders coming to their aid.

Recent storm events demonstrate that fire suppression in flooded areas with limited access will remain an on-going challenge. Fire trucks can’t access areas besieged by a couple of feet of flood water which further compounds the public safety risk and the risks to first responders.

Concerns about the long-term affordability and accessibility of newly elevated homes in many parts of Manville Borough persist despite elevations. Under FEMA’s newly updated Risk Rating 2.0 raising homes doesn’t eliminate the need for flood insurance and premiums are calculated to reflect area-based risk.

Furthermore, elevations do not address the needs of senior populations who would be trapped by 5.5’ of floodwater or who will struggle to traverse flights of stairs to elevated first floor living space.

On December 1, 2022, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program approved $10 million for the voluntary buyout of 31 homes in flood-prone sections of Manville. The Borough of Manville sustained extensive flooding from the Raritan River and Millstone River, as remnants of Hurricane Ida came through New Jersey in September of 2021.

Blue Acres $34M HUD-funded Buyout Eligibility Application Opens for Authorized Homeowners

Last modified on November 16th, 2023 at 11:25 am

May 18, 2023

Blue Acres is now accepting HUD Buyout Eligibility Applications from homeowners, in consultation with the NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation (DDRM) and the NJ Governor’s Disaster Recovery Office.

HUD buyout eligibility intake invitations were emailed out and the homeowner response window closes June 22, 2023. Blue Acres has $34M in HUD Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for buyouts post-Hurricane Ida.

Here is a fact sheet on Blue Acres buyouts funded by HUD.

More Details:

Homeowners were invited to complete the HUD Buyout Eligibility Application if they met the criteria below, which are guided by HUD’s spending requirements and national objectives:

The homeowner expressed interest in a buyout by submitting the Blue Acres Application for Acquisition before May 3, 2023, and provided an e-mail address in connection with the application.
The buyout property is in a county declared “Most Impacted and Distressed” after Ida in September 2021: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset, Union, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Warren.
The buyout property is in a Low-to-Moderate Income census block group, according to HUD data.

Approximately 150 homeowners who met the above requirements received the HUD Buyout Eligibility Application via email on May 8^th, 2023. Blue Acres staff are available to directly assist homeowners with application questions and concerns. For technical issues with the HUD Buyout Eligibility Application online applications, please contact blueacres@njdepwptest.net and include screenshots of any error messages if applicable.

This intake round for HUD Buyout Eligibility Applications will close on June 22, 2023. When the intake round closes, Blue Acres will analyze all completed applications and develop a buyout plan, in partnership with DCA, to ensure full use of the $34M in HUD CDBG-DR funding. Blue Acres will open additional intake rounds as necessary; for example, if the first intake round does not yield enough eligible applicants to fully spend DEP’s post-Ida HUD buyout funding or if additional funding is made available.

The HUD Buyout Eligibility Application is designed to determine whether willing seller homeowners meet HUD’s income eligibility criteria established for a HUD-funded buyout. Not all homeowners who complete the HUD Buyout Eligibility Application are expected to be eligible for a HUD CDBG-DR buyout. Homeowners who are deemed eligible based on their completed HUD application will be notified and proposed for a Blue Acres buyout funded by HUD later this summer. All other homeowners interested in a Blue Acres buyout will be carried forward for future buyout planning and grant making opportunities.

To prepare for the launch of the HUD Buyout Eligibility Application, Blue Acres participated in community meetings in Ida-impacted counties, focused on promoting awareness of disaster recovery assistance available through programs funded by HUD CDBG-DR. These community meetings were hosted by partners including DCA and New Jersey Organizing Project. Learn more about additional Ida recovery programs that DCA is administering.

Blue Acres is administering these HUD CDBG-DR funds in partnership with the DCA, and in accordance with the Hurricane Ida Action Plan.

Blue Acres prepares and submits buyout funding requests on an ongoing basis to various federal sources with differing homeowner eligibility requirements. Currently, Blue Acres anticipates that its next funding request will be submitted to FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program.

Blue Acres Applies for $40M FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant for Buyouts Across 20 Communities, 8 Counties

Last modified on November 16th, 2023 at 11:26 am

December 22, 2022

In consultation with its state and local partners, Blue Acres has submitted a funding request to FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) under NJ-DR-4488 to purchase and demolish 96 homes across 20 municipalities and 8 counties.

Click image to open full size in new tab.

Blue Acres identified the 96 residential properties which have a strong history of flooding and damage because they were severely impacted by Ida in September 2021. The properties also meet the eligibility requirements of the federal funding source and the goals of the state hazard mitigation plan. Specifically:

43 homes were “substantially damaged” because of Ida (this means the local floodplain manager certified that the home’s damage was greater than 50% of the building’s value);
42 homes are located within the floodway (this means the home sits in the channel of a river or watercourse, within the area of direct hydrological flow or in the adjacent buffer area reserved to reduce flood volume during a significant storm event);
53 homes are located in the flood fringe, which is beyond the floodway but within the 100-year floodplain (this means the home has a 1% chance of seeing a base flood every year, as mapped by FEMA and publicly available);
75 homes have “repetitive losses” or “severe repetitive losses” (this is determined by calculating damage claims over time, against policy coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program); and
59 homes are located within areas identified as overburdened or socially vulnerable, per New Jersey’s environmental justice law and/or the CDC’s social vulnerability index.

The application covers properties in the following 20 communities across 8 counties:

Bergen County: Borough of Hillsdale and Borough of New Milford
Hunterdon County: Township of Delaware and City of Lambertville
Mercer County: Township of Hopewell
Middlesex County: Borough of Dunellen, Borough of Highland Park, Borough of Middlesex, Borough of South Plainfield, and Township of Woodbridge
Morris County: Borough of Lincoln Park
Passaic County: City of Clifton
Somerset County: Township of Bernards, Township of Branchburg, Township of Hillsborough, Borough of Manville, Borough of Millstone, Township of Montgomery, and Borough of Raritan
Union County: City of Rahway

The property owners have been notified about the funding request and they will be updated with information regarding the award as soon as FEMA completes its review and announces a funding decision. All Blue Acres acquisitions must be from willing sellers. Most property owners in the FEMA HMGP funding request have submitted Blue Acres buyout applications, but new homeowners can express their voluntary interest to sell by completing and submitting an Application for Acquisition online or via post mail.

The funding request from Blue Acres seeks the full $40M that Governor Murphy committed for buyouts out of the nearly $150M federal funds allocated to New Jersey for disaster recovery in response to presidentially-declared disaster DR-4488-NJ. Blue Acres prepares and submits buyout funding applications, on an ongoing basis. Blue Acres anticipates that its next funding request will be for buyouts under HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program.

If funded, this project will advance implementation of the 2021 New Jersey Climate Change Resilience Strategy which specifically recommends incentivizing movement to safer areas by buying out repeatedly flooding properties and deploying natural or nature-based solutions for resilience. It will also advance state and federal environmental justice goals, in that thirteen of the properties are located within areas identified as overburdened or socially vulnerable, per New Jersey’s environmental justice law and/or the CDC’s social vulnerability index.

Buyouts are the most permanent and cost-effective mitigation project for protecting human lives and private property against inevitable future flood events. When homes are removed from the floodplain, there are fewer people who will need assistance evacuating in times of disaster. There are also fewer residential structures contributing to and exposed to hazard conditions, including debris, contaminants, and gas and power lines. After a buyout, the land is preserved as open space, providing community benefits such as floodwater absorption, wetland transition areas and reducing the need for future disaster response by police, fire, emergency crews and other first responders.

Blue Acres Receives $10M from FEMA for Buyouts in the Borough of Manville

Last modified on December 7th, 2022 at 9:44 am

December 5, 2022

Maxar satellite imagery shows flooding in Manville from remnants of Hurricane Ida in September 2021.

The approval comes in response to a funding request DEP Blue Acres submitted on July 29, 2022. The $10 million award reflects the full amount of funding allocated to New Jersey through FEMA FMA’s “Swift Current” initiative which seeks to expedite the distribution of assistance to disaster survivors and in advance of FMA’s annual grant process.

Blue Acres directly notified the homeowners when the application was submitted and again when the award was announced. Properties not part of the FMA Swift Current buyout project in Manville will continue to be considered for inclusion within forthcoming and rolling grant applications prepared by Blue Acres in coordination with its partners. In the coming weeks, DEP will be guiding individual homeowners throughout the buyout process to reduce red tape and provide a facilitated experience.

All 31 properties approved for FEMA Swift Current funding meet one or more eligibility requirements of the Swift Current initiative, such as:

the home is covered by an active flood insurance policy under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP);
the home is within the 100-year floodplain, or Special Flood Hazard Area (this means the property has a 1% chance of seeing a base flood every year, as mapped by FEMA and publicly available);
the home incurred “substantial damages” because of Hurricane Ida (this means the local floodplain manager certified that the home’s damage was greater than 50% of the building’s value); or,
the home incurred “repetitive losses” or “severe repetitive losses” because of Hurricane Ida (this is determined by calculating damage claims over time covered by a contract under the NFIP).

28 out of the 31 homes incurred severe repetitive losses over the years and/or were designated substantially damaged by Ida. FEMA is funding either 90% or 100% for each house, depending on its flood loss severity.

This funding award will advance implementation of the 2021 New Jersey Climate Change Resilience Strategy which specifically recommends incentivizing movement to safer areas by buying out repeatedly flooding properties and deploying natural or nature-based solutions for resilience. It will also advance state and federal environmental justice goals, in that thirteen of the properties are located within areas identified as overburdened or socially vulnerable, per New Jersey’s environmental justice law and/or the CDC’s social vulnerability index.

See FEMA’s Swift Current award announcement here.

Blue Acres Applies to FEMA for $10M in Buyouts in the Borough of Manville

Last modified on December 7th, 2022 at 9:44 am

August 31, 2022

In consultation with NJ Office of Emergency Management, NJ Governor’s Disaster Recovery Office, the Borough of Manville, and other local partners, Blue Acres has submitted an application to FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance program to fund buyouts for 31 homes in the Borough of Manville in Somerset County. The Borough of Manville sustained extensive flooding from the Raritan River and Millstone River, as remnants of Hurricane Ida came through New Jersey in September of 2021.

Blue Acres’ application requests the full $10M allocation made available to New Jersey through the FMA grant program’s Swift Current Initiative which was designed to make flood mitigation assistance available to homeowners in a timelier fashion than is feasible under traditional disaster recovery funding cycles and opportunities.

The 31 properties included in the application all meet the Swift Current Initiative’s funding eligibility requirements, as actively insured by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program and designated as Severe Repetitive Loss, Repetitive Loss, or Substantially Damaged as a result of Hurricane Ida. Additionally, all 31 properties are located within a FEMA flood zone, and several are located within areas of relatively high social vulnerability according to prevailing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The owners of the 31 properties have been notified about the application submission and they will be updated with information regarding the award as soon as FEMA completes its review and announces a decision. All Blue Acres acquisitions must be from willing sellers, and homeowners can express their voluntary interest to sell by completing and submitting an offer application online or via post mail.

Blue Acres prepares and submits buyout funding applications, in an ongoing basis, to various federal sources with differing requirements for property eligibility. Currently, Blue Acres anticipates that its next application will be submitted to FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for $40M, a portion dedicated for acquisitions by the Murphy Administration from emergency aid made available to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Blue Acres

Category: Announcements