Scranton residents who were affected by the September 9, 2023, storm can visit two City parks this week for help applying for flood relief grants of up to $5,000. Outreach events will be held:
- Tues., Oct. 31, 1-5 p.m., at Novembrino Park, 200 10th Ave., Scranton
- Wed., Nov. 1, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at Novembrino Park, 200 10th Ave., Scranton
- Thurs., Nov. 2, 2-6 p.m., at Weston Field House, 982 Providence Rd., Scranton
- Fri., Nov. 3, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., at Weston Field House, 982 Providence Rd., Scranton
“We had success hosting sessions to help people apply to the PEMA portal in September, and we are replicating the format to help our residents apply for the City’s financial relief now,” Mayor Paige G. Cognetti said.
Leveraging new rules on the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds commonly referred to as ARPA FLEX, City Council recently approved a revised ARPA budget that allows for more than $2.5 million in disaster recovery and future flood mitigation projects. Those programs include the individual disaster relief program which opened Monday, Oct. 30, in partnership with the Scranton Area Community Foundation. Residents can apply online at www.safdn.org/apply and receive technical assistance on their application at any of the outreach events.
To be eligible, applicants must have resided in one of the impacted areas on September 9 with priority given to residents who registered with the online damage assessment form created by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).
Residents who need help with their recovery application should bring the following materials to the City’s outreach events:
- Proof of their address as of September 9, 2023
- Valid government-issued photo identification for the head of the households
- Photos documenting the degree of the damage indicated
- A beneficiary funds request form
- Copies of estimates, invoices, receipts, etc., for expenses incurred
- Verification of insurance (contents, flood, homeowners, renters, etc.) including:
- Copy of the insurance policy summary, identifying their coverage
- Evidence of claim’s submission to the insurance carrier and, if applicable, response from the carrier
- If uninsured, a signed statement declaring your uninsured status on your application
Disaster Recovery grants will allow for the reimbursement of costs related to property repair, appliance repair or replacement, debris removal, insurance deductibles, moving, and other eligible costs. Awards will be determined in part by the level of damage incurred, according to the standards set by the FEMA Damage Assessment Guide.
Future flood mitigation projects will rely on the September 2021 Keyser Valley Stormwater and Flood Mitigation Study prepared by Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI). That study called for more than $8.6 million in potential stormwater projects including new water conveyance systems and a new pump station on Merrifield Avenue.
Residents who still have questions about the status of their home or their ability to repair structures should contact City of Scranton Engineering Project Coordinator Morgan Fetsock at relief@scrantonpa.gov or (570) 504-4943.
Additional information about Scranton’s ARPA plan is online at scrantonpa.gov/arpa.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) OF 2021: ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill. The City of Scranton received $68.7 million in ARPA funds to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts. The mission of Scranton’s ARPA program is to give people access to resources, rebuild the infrastructure systems that impact their everyday lives, and foster equitable wealth generation that targets the needs of Scranton residents.
Scranton Offers Outreach Events for Flood Recovery Grants | Press Release
Last modified: October 31, 2023
