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open in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API pdfcrowd.com The Princess Cottage Inn, victimized by Superstorm Sandy a month prior, NEXT VIDEO remains devastated on Dec. 5, 2012 in Union Beach, N.J. Dangling 7-Ton Load Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Lowered From NYC Crane

It's been one year since Hurricane Sandy sacked the East Coast, turning homes and businesses upside down, and though billions of dollars in aid has been promised to rebuild affected areas, most victims have yet to replace what the floodwaters swept away.

Residents of , where Gov. declared his state "open for business" before the summer season began, have waited longer than those in neighboring states for promised federal aid to help rebuild their homes. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

How and where aid flows is a complex issue, driven by various levels of government, each with its own set of rules and timetables. For those affected by the storm, who are often battling insurance companies as well, it can be a frustrating struggle to return to normalcy.

And to the chagrin of many residents, those that do receive aid will not be allowed to touch the money until pre-approved contractors notify them that they are ready to begin working. Farrah Fawcett's Boy, 14, Charged as Secret Love Life Adult in Teacher's "I hear all these Jersey 'Stronger than the Storm' commercials and it really pisses me off, it's Exposed in Lawsuit Murder insulting. Christie will spend $20 million on a Sandy commercial and here I am waiting. I can't get any help," said Elena Pagonis, 41, whose Keansburg home was wrecked in the storm.

SEE ABC NEWS FULL COVERAGE OF THE HISTORIC STORM

Family Finds Wrong Mercedes's Lower- Pagonis was referring to a $4 million commercial starring Christie, part of a $25 million aid package Man in Casket at Priced Sedan devoted to tourism to help spread the message that the 's boardwalks and Funeral Draws Luxury businesses were back open for summer, even while residents are still living in temporary housing open in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API pdfcrowd.com awaiting aid. PHOTO GALLERIES "New York has made a faster recovery than anywhere in New Jersey," said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University.

"The homeowners cannot seem to mobilize, the insurance companies have not moved fast enough, and despite Christie's initial statements and the boardwalks being back open, homeowners are still in bad shape," Moss said.

GOV. CHRISTIE ON RESPONSE TO STORM A YEAR LATER

After the storm hit in October 2012, it took Congress until January 2013, to approve a $60 billion aid View: New York Halloween Dog Parade package with an array of purposes: funding for FEMA and future disasters on the East Coast and Entertainment around the country, money for infrastructure, and direct aid to victims. • • • • • States then were required to submit proposals for how to spend their share of the aid money.

But while New Jersey waited for federal approval for its plan, New York City responded to the SEE IT, SHARE IT storm's damage by tapping into city coffers to immediately get neighborhoods up and running again under its Rapid Recovery system, in which they restored utility services to get residents back in Video Shows Fair their homes quickly. The city is seeking to be reimbursed by the federal government now. Ride Moments After It Restarted, Injuring 5

Meanwhile, the city, New York state, and New Jersey all submitted proposals for how to spend the

federal aid, and received about the same amount devoted to housing: $720 million for housing ABC News rebuilding in New York City, $838 million in New York state, and $600 million in New Jersey. ABC News and Univision Make SLIDESHOW: VIEWER-SUBMITTED PHOTOS OF THE STORM History With Fusion

But that money has been tied up in red tape for months in New Jersey. ABCNEWS.com

In New York, an initial round of grants was awarded to about 4,300 residents, and the state is still Prince George's Official Christening open in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API pdfcrowd.com Official Christening accepting applications, according to the state's Storm Recovery office. Photos Unveiled

So far in New Jersey, about 130 applicants have completed their grant signings, and can expect Jason Bell/Camera Press/AP their grant money soon. The state's Department of Community Affairs said another 200 can expect Photo their grant signings through the end of this month, and more than 3,000 are still awaiting their PHOTOS: Lost letters. An additional 4,000 are still waiting to find out whether they will be approved at all, an Treasures of answer that hinges on whether the federal government releases additional aid money. Superstorm Sandy

The grants for rebuilding of up to $150,000 and can be used for construction and elevation of Hurricane Sandy Lost Treasures/Facebook homes. Smaller grants of $10,000 have been handed out to more than 14,000 New Jersey residents but cannot be used for construction or home repair. 10 Things That Definitely Turn Off Homebuyers SLIDESHOW: LOST TREASURES OF SANDY

FEMA also distributed about $450 million for home repairs across all of the affected states right Getty Images after the storm, according to the federal agency. Exclusive: Jessica Simpson Shares Gov. Christie's office did not return calls from ABC News seeking comment. In an interview with Post-Pregnancy Weight-Loss Plan The Associated Press on Sunday he blamed the delays on federal red tape and Congress for taking three months to approve the aid package. Jamie McCarthy /Getty Images

"We've done everything we possibly can, and I think in the immediate aftermath did a very good How to Pack a Carry- on With Everything job," Christie told the AP. "Since then, we've kind of been hostage to two situations, the delay in the You Need aid itself and then what I call the 'Katrina factor,' which is the much more detailed and difficult rules surrounding the distribution of the aid. To the victims, I'd say you're right, it is too slow, and I wish that the federal government would allow us the flexibility to get you aid more quickly." Getty Images

Some 360,000 homes in the state were damaged in the storm, which was New Jersey's worst

natural disaster in modern times. Sponsored Links Buy Link Here

When grantees do receive their rebuilding money, they won't be allowed to spend it themselves. Make Money With Penny Stocks open in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API pdfcrowd.com New Jersey Will this $0.50 stock hit $6.00? 3 Instead, the money will be placed in a bank account that pre-approved contractors can draw from reasons why we think so once they start the construction work, a precaution against fraud put in place after problems arose www.invests.com in the aftermath of Katrina. Some residents there simply took their government checks and left town--many of those properties still sit abandoned eight years later. Better Than Facelift? New Jersey Doctor Has Lazy Way To Look Years Residents have expressed frustration at the byzantine system through which they have to go to get Younger in 17 Seconds approvals, inspections and, finally, the grant money, all while the boardwalks and businesses lining HealthylifeStyleGuide.com the Jersey Shore reopened much more quickly.

"There was no red tape for the boardwalk. All the red tape was set aside for that. The most important thing was because it was so close to summer, to get the businesses back, the tourists MOST COMMENTED back, and the money for the state," said Joanne Gwinn, whose Toms River home took on two feet of water from the Barnegat Bay during the flood surge.

"And we are boardwalk people, we are beach people, we live here, but it's frustrating when that's all you see and stories about 'we're back' but I'm still paying my rent in my apartment and my mortgage and property taxes and still paying my flood and insurance policies," Gwinn said. Texas Hunting Club Auctioning off 1 Permit to Hunt Endangered Rhino New Jersey hired a Texas-based contractor that worked during Hurricane Katrina recovery, Obama Learned of World Leader Phone Tapping This Year, WSJ Reports Hammerman & Gainer, Inc., to set up service centers to process applications, but residents have 2 testified at state hearings about problems with the company, including the difficulty of reaching Milk Prices May Soar to $8 a Gallon employees by phone, having paperwork misplaced, and being staffed by temporary workers, 3 according to the Wall Street Journal. HGI did not respond to requests for comment from ABC Phoenix Shooting Leaves Family, Dogs, News, but Cherie Pinac, HGI's chief operating officer, told the Journal that the company doesn't 4 Gunman Dead comment on continuing contracts as a policy and couldn't respond to questions about performance Macys responds to 'Shop and Frisk' for programs. Lawsuit, Barney's will meet with Al 5 Sharpton - ABC News

Lisa Ryan, the spokeswoman for New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs, said she understands the frustration, but the DCA has actually moved quite quickly to set up an entire organization to begin distributing the funds.

open in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API pdfcrowd.com "We understand folks' frustration--some people have been out of their home for a year now, but it's important to note our action plan was approved on April 29 and we didn't receive federal (Community Block Development Grant) Disaster Recovery funds until May. We are moving quickly compared to many other states after disaster."

Ryan said the DCA hopes to receive a new round of federal funding to approve more applicants. Until then, residents remain in limbo, waiting to see whether they will get the money to rebuild their homes. A spokesman for the Department of Housing and Urban Development said he could not comment on if or when states would receive another round of federal aid.

In the meantime, residents say they're being nickel-and-dimed by foot-dragging insurance companies and stuck in limbo with the DCA grants, while being sent through an endless task list of registering for permits and inspections followed by weeks or months of silence or denials.

"I'm fighting every step of the way with the very people I'm paying," Gwinn said.

"My insurance company has been fighting me, I've been trying to get in touch with the DCA and I can't. It's a game. It's just a game. It's ridiculous," Pagonis said. "Everybody's out for a buck."

For homeowners, relief cannot come soon enough.

"Here I am starting my life over again. Now I'm in North Jersey, I had to get a job up here to pay for stuff, I'm living in my parents' basement. My life completely turned upside down," Pagonis said.

I'm thankful we have a roof over our head but it's frustrating," Gwinn said. "Every time you take two steps forward you take 10 steps back."

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Avatar ThatsInsane • 4 hours ago And people believe government run health care will run smoothly....

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Avatar Manda81305 • 3 hours ago What really pisses me off is that there 150 homes in Union Beach that still need to be torn down and rebuilt - all the while - our fearless Governor turns around and takes $15mm in funds the state of NJ got for Sandy recovery and earmarked it for the boardwalk repair damaged from a fire in Sept. Are you kidding me? That fire was caused by the negligence of the property owner who chose to not fix his electrical system after it soaked in saltwater for hours during Sandy AND he failed his electrical inspections. Why should my neighbors still be homeless a year later and this bozo gets a $15 million dollar bail out? open in browserEveryonePRO promised version usAre the you world a developer? in the Tryaftermath out the HTML of the to PDFstorm API and once the cameras left and the three month mark pdfcrowd.com Everyone promised us the world in the aftermath of the storm and once the cameras left and the three month mark hit - everyone was left to their own devices with a big one finger salute from the state and federal governments.

5 Reply Share ›

Avatar bigcatdaddy76016 • 3 hours ago Obama said he would help you after this natural disaster...... a year later...surprise he's turned his back on you America....He really hates America.....you voted for him....3 more years folks, unless we impeach...any ideas?

7 2 Reply Share ›

Manda81305 bigcatdaddy76016 • 3 hours ago Our governor gave us she shove off too - he's more worried about the boardwalks that the people living here who make up the 99% of the boardwalks patronage. Profits over people.....

5 Reply Share ›

Audra Cole bigcatdaddy76016 • an hour ago Congress voted on a relief package after the storm. Take it up with them.

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green1313 Audra Cole • an hour ago They all hate America too. LMAO.

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Avatar USAFSecForcesVet • an hour ago BUT, we keep GIVING away BILLIONS to foreign country's. Makes ya feel all good & gushy inside don't it.

1 Reply Share ›

Avatar Alfred E Newman • 4 hours ago If the folks up there had bought flood insurance after seeing what Katrina did to us down South they would have had a better time of it..Maybe New Orleans can ship you some folks to help with recovery..oh wait most are in federeal pen for stealing aid.

1 1 Reply Share › open in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API pdfcrowd.com Manda81305 Alfred E Newman • 3 hours ago NOPE! That's exactly who we're fighting with...... the flood insurance companies - who coincidentally - is the Federal Government. I wish more than anything that federal program would go away and we were able to choose who carried our flood insurance policies, but we cant. Its such BS

2 Reply Share ›

Avatar "Pinocchio Crime Family" • 4 hours ago <<<<<<<<< We know some famous criminals that would come steal whatever is left.

1 1 Reply Share ›

Avatar keith • 2 hours ago I'm broke and my dime is supposed to rebuild someone beach house, I hope aide never shows.

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Manda81305 keith • an hour ago Its not your dime - its our dimes that we paid the government for their insurance policies. insurance carrier - all we want is for our claims to be paid and our homes to be fixed. you are not under the impression that our "beach houses" are for recreational purposes - these are our only residence- most of which are modest 2-3 bedroom homes in a small blue collar community.

And secondly - I hope to God you NEVER have to experience what we have been going through for the last year. Until you do - please don't wish for people to not receive the help they need. People like you with your snide comments is what's wrong with society today - look out for me me me and screw my neighbor.

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Audra Cole keith • an hour ago Flood insurance, etc. is them paying a premium.

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Avatar Enough Already! • 3 hours ago OMG! Why me Lord? open in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API pdfcrowd.com Reply Share ›

Avatar Barb • 3 hours ago But Governor Christie said he took care of everything, watch his commercials....NJ WAKE UP..Vote for !

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Enough Already! Barb • 2 hours ago You tell the government to keep their hands off my Medicare!

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Barb Enough Already! • 2 hours ago I agree, the GOP wants cuts along with Gov. Christie...Gov. C. is trying to run for president and not taking care of NJ.

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Avatar pat jones • 3 hours ago This, after the article were we were paying 200 dollars a night for the past year for victims of Superstorm Sandy to stay in hotels. The system is not perfect, but we do spend a ton of cash trying to help people. after hurricane Katrina New Orleans got hit with another bad hurricane and caused similar flooding in some of the same neighborhoods. They interviewed the victims and they said they still did not have home owners insurance.

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