Were you affected by the 2019 flooding along Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence River? A new government program may be able to help.

New York State recently launched the 2019 Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Flood Relief and Recovery Program to help homeowners affected by the “historic flooding along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.” The State hopes that this $20 million program, combined with other regionally significant rebuilding and resiliency efforts, will provide financial relief to families recovering from the devastating floods.

The program allows homeowners who reside in Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, St. Lawrence, and Wayne Counties to apply for up to $50,000 in state funding to help offset damages to their primary residences. If funds are still available after primary residences have been addressed, then the State will evaluate whether any remaining funding can be made available for secondary residences.

The application process for primary residences for this program opened on October 1, 2019 and will run through October 30, 2019. Homeowners of primary residences affected by flooding between January 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019 are eligible to apply.

Those who believe they may be eligible for this program should act quickly because application criteria require the application to be received by October 31, 2019. The application must specifically address damage to a primary residence that sustained direct physical flooding-related damage that threatens the safety of the home. Those who are unsure whether they qualify, or who want guidance regarding the program, should seek help from professionals who have experience with flooding-related legal issues.

For inquiries related to environmental, zoning, and land use matters, or questions about flooding claims or the Lake Ontario Homeowner Recovery Program, please contact Jacob H. Zoghlin, Esq. or Mindy L. Zoghlin, Esq.

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  See “Lake Ontario homeowner recovery program is now accepting applications,” By Frankie Jupiter, CNY Central, October 2, 2019, available at https://cnycentral.com/news/local/lake-ontario-homeowner-recovery-program-is-now-accepting-applications.

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