Political Quotes

“After Hurricane Sandy, thousands of homeowners throughout the New York region learned that they were ineligible for federal disaster assistance because they lived in a co- op or a condo; not in a single family home. According to the FEMA's policy, co-ops and condo associations are ``business entities''--not eligible for federal assistance that can reach up to $30,000 per household. As a result, community associations are often faced with the daunting task of cleaning up and rebuilding after a major natural disaster-- without the help or resources that other homeowners receive from the federal government. To help bring fairness to the federal disaster relief process, my colleague Jerry Nadler and I introduced H.R. 1684, the Disaster Assistance Support for Communities and Homeowners Act. Our bill directs FEMA to provide technical assistance to help community associations qualify for disaster assistance grants. It also directs FEMA to provide recommendations to Congress, within 12 months, on additional ways that co-ops and condos can become eligible for assistance. I encourage swift passage of H.R. 1684 to help ensure that all community association homeowners have access to federal disaster benefits.”