Homeowner Assistance and Recovery Program (HARP) Reimbursement

The Homeowner Assistance and Recovery Program (HARP) is accepting applications to reimburse homeowners for out-of-pocket emergency repairs from damage to their primary residence sustained during Hurricane Ida.

According to the DCA, “Reimbursement assistance is limited to repairs that were necessary to address an imminent threat to health and safety, were completed within the allowable timeframe established by the program, and were paid for using the applicant's personal funds.”

“Who Is Eligible to Receive HARP Reimbursement Funding?

To be eligible for assistance under HARP Reimbursement, an applicant must meet all of the eligibility criteria outlined below. Applications are open to both current HARP applicants as well as individuals who were not eligible for HARP or never applied.

Eligible applicants are individuals who: 

1. Own and occupied the assisted property as their primary residence at the time of Hurricane Ida and that residence is located in one of the 12 counties declared as most impacted by Hurricane Ida: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Somerset, Passaic, Union, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, and Warren;

2. Incurred and paid for eligible emergency repair cost using personal, non-duplicative funding;
3. Completed repairs must be directly attributable to damage caused by Hurricane Ida;
4. Had repairs that meet the definition of emergency repairs as outlined in the HARP Reimbursement Policy under section 1.
5. Completed and paid for the repairs between September 1, 2021, the date of Hurricane Ida, and May 31, 2023, or until the applicant submitted an application to the HARP Program, which occurred first; and 
6. Meet all other HARP Program eligibility and compliance requirements as outlined in the HARP policy.

HARP Reimbursement will prioritize applications where the applicants are low- to moderate-income (LMI) and are located in one of the eight counties (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Passaic, Somerset and Union) that HUD identified as Most Impacted and Distressed by Hurricane Ida.”

For more information, visit opens in a new windowNew Jersey Department of Community Affairs | Homeowner Assistance and Recovery Program (HARP) Reimbursement and/or reach out to opens in a new windowinfo@newjerseyrp.orgcreate new email to connect with our organization and learn from other storm survivors.

Housing Mitigation Fund (HMF) program

This program is a loan that will be repaid upon the sale of the house and would require a lien on your home. Though this loan will help many people we believe it likely still singles out those survivors who reside in the Lost Valley and Dukes Parkway due to it being CDBG-DR federal funded program - but try and let us know what happens? 

From the DCA’s Website: 

“The Housing Mitigation Fund Program (HMF) provides interest-free repayable funding to eligible applicants for mitigation activities that address risks from hazards such as flooding, severe weather, and extreme temperatures. Program funds that are disbursed must be repaid upon the transfer of ownership of the home.”

Who is eligible?

“1. Properties in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Passaic, Union, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris and Warren counties
2. Individual property owners who own and occupied the property as their primary residence at the time of the HMF application.
3. Households with an Adjusted Gross Income of 120% area area medium income as per HUD’s annual income limits. Income Limits can be found here: opens in a new windowHUD NJ Income Limitsopens PDF file .
4. Eligible structures: Single family homes, townhouses, modular homes and manufactured homes.
5. Rental properties and multi-unit structures are NOT eligible.”

There are 2 Pathways:

Pathway 1: Hazard Reduction and Prevention

"The program will award up to $100,000 for construction activities to ensure primary residential housing structures are mitigated against the risk of future disaster events as outlined in the mitigation needs assessment in the Hurricane Ida Action Plan and those activities that are related to residential housing improvements. For the purposes of this program, eligible mitigation activities are those that mitigate against the damage to residential housing caused by flooding, severe weather, and extreme temperatures."
 
Pathway 2 : Reconstruction

"The program will award up to $500,000 for housing development on a vacant lot or reconstruction of a home that is uninhabitable due to damages from a previous disaster. Assistance through this pathway is available to both developers and individual property owners. The new structures must incorporate mitigation measures to reduce risk from future disasters. The program will prioritize assistance to the most at-risk structures and vulnerable populations. "

Applications are open! opens in a new windowClick here to visit the state’s website for more information about specific pathway application deadlines and requirements, and/or reach out to opens in a new windowinfo@newjerseyrp.orgcreate new email to connect with our organization and learn from other storm survivors.