Resident families at this time should have received displaced Family letter from CIS, in order to present to FEMA to proceed with services.
FEMA is in the process of reviewing claims for financial support of all families. Many residents have completed this process and if approved will receive assistance from FEMA. It is critical that you preserve your rights to FEMA assistance. Please make sure you have registered.
Please Contact the CIS resident support hotline if you still require assistance in securing the displaced resident letter. 1-888-604-1738
If your application for assistance from FEMA is approved, you should discuss in detail with the FEMA representative, what type of assistance you are receiving so that you have a clear understanding on the purpose and use of the funds. FEMA may approve you for Other Needs Assistance (ONA). ONA provides financial assistance for necessary expenses and serious needs directly caused by the disaster. This includes assistance for Personal Property, Child Care, Medical and Dental, Funeral, Transportation, Moving and Storage, Miscellaneous and other expenses, Critical Needs, and Clean and Removal.) FEMA may also provide Rental Assistance. Rental Assistance is funding to rent alternate housing accommodations while an applicant is displaced from his or her disaster-damaged primary residence. Rental Assistance may be used to rent a house, apartment, manufactured home, recreational vehicle, or other readily fabricated dwelling. FEMA assistance is beginning to flow and other support including hotel accommodations will begin to expire.
It is critical that if you have been offered other housing accommodations, through Vouchers or Pass-through authority for temporary housing and you have declined, you could be at risk for continued support.
Access to units has been restricted because of potential health risk to you from environmental and/or airborne hazards. Once we secure release from health department, we will work hard to get residents access to units. Please note that although CIS and our government partners are doing everything we can to get the units remediated and rehabilitated, our primary responsibility is to the health and safety of our residents.
Unfortunately, our activities are dependent on supplies for remediation and replacement of equipment which is not immediately available. We now estimate that most families will not return to units for a minimum 6 months. It is therefore critical for you to identify and or accept temporary housing options as hotel resources will expire soon.
CIS, HUD and HMFA have provided unit vacancies and are prepared to provide pass through authority to units which meet the rent reimbursement limitations.
There are limited Section 8 vouchers available, and these have been prioritized based on individual unit damage. NO RESIDENT should sign a LEASE unless they have been approved for a section 8 Voucher from HACE.
If you have not been approved for a section 8 voucher,
pass through of subsidy has been authorized by HUD. However, in order for a resident to have subsidy to secure temporary housing for up to a year, you must identify a unit that meets the rental expense limit. CIS will assist in order to secure that unit for you, but you must present the information to the CIS team. CIS has provided notification and given priority to residents to occupy any vacant unit within the CIS portfolio. These units are being provided to assist families in securing temporary housing. These units are not permanent and once your unit is repaired you will be moved back to your original unit . We have also worked with HUD, and the City to identify other units available within the market area.
CIS, NOT the resident, enters into the lease for temporary units with the pass through subsidy on your behalf and secures payment of your rent. This temporary unit will be available for up to 1 year, and residents will be required to move back to their original unit once made available.
We remain dedicated to returning families to their homes. We will continue to work with our partners including HUD and the City Of Elizabeth to support residents through this disaster.