“It’s been really difficult to find an affordable rental at this time,” says 76-year-old Elsa Tibaduiza, a victim of Tropical Storm Ida. The powerful floods spawned by the storm displaced more than 1,000 residents of affordable housing, and most haven’t yet gone home — because home is still a mess. Many developers didn’t have flood insurance and couldn’t repair damaged units.
The good news is that funding to speed home rehabs is in the pipeline, with $228 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Another $25 million from the Murphy administration is targeted 100% toward affordable housing projects, especially places like the Tibbs Senior Citizens building in Englewood and Oakwood Plaza, in Elizabeth, each with more than 40 units. Repairs will include new designs to make apartment infrastructure more resilient to floods.
