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More Help for Union County Residents Affected by Hurricane Sandy

Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders reminds home owners who are seniors age sixty and older, or persons with disabilities, that they may qualify for a federal grant of up to $5,000 under the new Home Repair and Advocacy program. The funds are intended to repair damage to homes from Superstorm Sandy. The home must be the owner’s primary residence.

The grant applications for Union County home owners will be processed by Development Directions LLC of Rahway.

“Development Directions has a solid track record of administering grants and making sure that community assistance funds go where they’re needed, in a timely manner,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “If you think you may be eligible for this program, I encourage you to connect with Development Directions as soon as possible.”

A wide variety of storm-related repairs may be covered under this program, including damage to furnaces, hot water heaters, and other major appliances as well as electrical systems, roof and window repairs, and tree removal.

Other repairs may include water damage and mold remediation.

The source of the funding is an $8.2 million federal Social Services Block Grant awarded to the New Jersey Department of Human Services.

From that state agency, the funds are distributed in blocks to county-based offices, including the Union County Division on Aging. The Division on Aging selected Development Directions through a public bidding process to administer Union County’s share of the funds.

This “block grant” process is a long-established strategy for ensuring that federal funds are channeled to the appropriate recipients by reliable, local community development professionals.

For more information, contact Development Directions by calling 732-382-8100 or by emailingCitaliano1@verizon.net, or writing to Development Directions, 2 City Hall Plaza, 2nd Floor, Rahway NJ, 07065. Proof of home ownership must be provided.  Downloadable application forms are available here.

For information about all Union County programs and resources for seniors and individuals with disabilities call the Union County Division on Aging and Disability Resource Connection toll free, 888-280-8226 or visit online at ucnj.org.

Please join the County of Union online at ucnj.org, on Facebook at ucnj.org/facebook, and on Twitter attwitter.com/countyofunionnj.