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Federal Funds Headed To Fairfield For Sandy Repairs

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- A total of nearly $72 million in federal funds is heading to Connecticut to help in the recovery from Hurricane Sandy, with 80 percent of the funding slated to be spent in Fairfield County and New Haven County. 

Pear Tree Point Beach in Darien is under flowing water at high tide during Hurricane Sandy. At least 76 homes in town were damaged in that storm.

Pear Tree Point Beach in Darien is under flowing water at high tide during Hurricane Sandy. At least 76 homes in town were damaged in that storm.

Photo Credit: File, Contributed by Charles Barthold

“This funding will allow us to move forward with our plan to help residents rebuild, get businesses back on their feet and make some of the investments in our infrastructure that are so clearly necessary," Gov. Dannel Malloy said. “Getting this funding out to communities as quickly as possible will ensure that residents can recover from Storm Sandy and we can begin to make smart investments in our towns and cities." 

The State of Connecticut Disaster Recovery Program Action Plan outlines the spending. It said the affected areas of Fairfield County are experiencing a depreciation in the value of homes.

It also detailed the damage in Fairfield County from Hurricane Sandy.

  • Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield, Bridgeport and Stratford account for 81 percent of Fairfield County’s total damaged homes and half of the state’s damaged homes. Greenwich, Stamford and Darien have the second largest volume of damaged homes in the county, which account for 14 percent of the county’s total damage.
  • Concentration of damage is dispersed, with only Greenwich having a sizable share of its damaged homes in neighborhoods with heavy concentrations of damage in a small geographic area.
  • Darien: The neighborhood with the highest overall Hurricane Sandy impact was the Tokeneke neighborhood along the shoreline. At least 76 single-family homes were affected in town.
  • Fairfield: The town had the largest volume of Hurricane Sandy-damaged homes in the county, with at least 893 single-family homes affected. Much of the damage was the result of wind and storm surge along the coastal areas and included both primary and secondary homes, particularly within the area between Fairfield Beach and Shoal Point.
  • Greenwich: The neighborhood with the highest overall impact was Old Greenwich, including the destruction of three waterfront homes on the neighborhood’s Binney Lane by a fire spread by the storm’s strong winds. At least 176 single-family homes were affected in town.
  • Norwalk: The neighborhoods with the highest overall Hurricane Sandy impact in the city included Bell Island, Rowayton and Shore Haven neighborhoods, with at least 544 single-family homes affected in the town.
  • Stamford: The neighborhoods with the highest overall Hurricane Sandy impact in the city included Shippan Point, Cove and Southfield Point. Stamford’s West Beach, Quigley Beach, Cove Island Park and Cummings Marina suffered millions of dollars’ worth of damage. At least 166 single family-homes were affected in the city.
  • Westport: The neighborhoods with the highest overall impact in the town were the waterfront neighborhoods of Saugatuck Shores, Old Mill and Compo Beach. At least 243 single-family homes were affected in the town.
  • Danbury: A total of 25 homes were damaged.
  • Ridgefield: A total of 14 homes were damaged.
  • Weston: A total of 12 homes were damaged.
  • New Canaan: A total of 12 homes were damaged.

“We know the need across southern Connecticut is great. Our primary focus is disbursing these funds in a way that maximizes their effectiveness — to help as many people and as many communities as we possibly can with the funds we have available,” Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein said.

The state's plan to spend the $71.82 million to help Connecticut residents, businesses and communities was approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grants are part of the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program.

The plan details how funds will be divided to assist individuals, families, small businesses, and others affected by the storm. Highlights include:

  • $30 million to help homeowners repair damage;
  • $26 million to rehabilitate and rebuild low and moderate-income multifamily homes;
  • $4 million to assist a range of businesses affected by the storm;
  • $4 million to address infrastructure needs that pose health and safety risks;
  • $2.2 million for public building repairs; and
  • $2 million for planning activities, including plans for future mitigation.

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