Property owners along the Lake Ontario shoreline whose property was damaged by floods this year have until Friday to apply for state-funded relief.
New York State has made $15 million available to support homeowners affected by the severe spring and summer flooding.
The program provides grants of up to $50,000 dollars to property owners whose costs aren't covered by insurance or other disaster recovery funds.
In order to be eligible for the assistance, property owners must have been living in their home as a primary residence at the time of the flood. Second homes are eligible for assistance if the homeowner's total income is less than $275,000.
Many homeowners are just now getting an idea of what kind of repairs they need.
"The water didn't really start receding until several weeks ago, so I think homeowners took their time to figure out what the full brunt of the damage was," said David Seeley, Irondequoit town supervisor.
Another issue is finding contractors to do the work. The demand is outpacing the supply.
Greece town supervisor Bill Reilich notes that even if homeowners don't have all the documentation they need, they can still apply for funds ahead of the deadline.
"If people have had their work done, they can submit their bills and the state will send a check directly to them,” he said. “If they are estimates, they can send that to the state and the state will then send a check to the contractor once the work is done. If they don't have either, they can give their best guess estimate and, as we go forward, that can be fine-tuned."
The deadline to submit applications is 5 p.m. Friday. Applications can be submitted in person, on line at sheenhousing.org, or by mail to Sheen Housing, P.O. Box 460, Bloomfield, New York 14469.
Homeowners can also contact Sheen Housing at 585-657-4114 or sheen2@rochester.rr.com if they have questions or need assistance with their application.
