Sandy Rebuilding Task Force Releases Rebuilding Strategy

The federal task force on rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy, chaired by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, released a rebuilding strategy to serve as a model for communities facing greater risks from extreme weather and to continue helping the Sandy-affected region rebuild. The Rebuilding Strategy contains 69 policy recommendations, many of which have already been adopted, aimed at helping homeowners stay in and repair their homes, strengthen small businesses and revitalize local economies and ensure entire communities are better able to withstand and recover from future storms.

"From the moment the storm hit last October it was clear New York City and the region as a whole would need to rebuild smarter and mitigate any future natural disasters," said local Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. "Superstorm Sandy dealt a devastating blow to our country's economic engine. I am glad the Administration is working with state and local officials to provide the flexibility needed to help families and businesses recover from catastrophic damage while investing in resiliency efforts."

Among the recommendations that will have the greatest impact on federal funding is a process to prioritize all large-scale infrastructure projects and map the connections and interdependencies between them, as well as guidelines to ensure all of those projects are built to withstand the impacts of climate change. The strategy also explores how to harden energy infrastructure to minimize power outages and fuel shortages ? and ensure continuation of cellular service ? in the event of future storms.