Superstorm Sandy made landfall on October 29, 2012, causing unprecedented damage to homes and infrastructure across New York City’s five boroughs. The storm caused an estimated $19 billion in damage, displacing thousands of residents and devastating neighborhoods. The Build It Back Program was launched to help homeowners recover by providing various assistance options, including homeowner reimbursement, repair, elevation, reconstruction, buyout, acquisition, and relocation services.

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H2Bravo was engaged to provide critical support in designing and implementing the program. The team’s scope of work included providing subject matter expertise in policy development, financial management, and construction management for complex projects, such as home elevations in flood-prone areas. H2Bravo’s financial management services included budgeting, invoice reviews, and the preparation of draw requests to ensure compliance with HUD CDBG-DR requirements. 

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H2Bravo also deployed construction managers to assist with the NYC Department of Design and Construction’s first of its kind design build program, where three large construction and program management firms were selected to provide overarching construction services to rapidly repair and reconstruction homes in complex areas with logistical and design challenges that are not usually present in CDBG-DR housing programs.  Our construction managers helped develop the procedures for performing construction and then assisted in managing hundreds of construction projects to completion.

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One of the key innovations of the Build It Back Program was the development of the Resilient Edgemere Community Plan, a comprehensive strategy to improve long-term resiliency in one of the city’s hardest-hit neighborhoods. H2Bravo’s construction management team played a pivotal role in coordinating the elevation and reconstruction of homes in challenging areas, such as Sheepshead Bay Courts and Broad Channel.

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Another key innovation was working with New York State and New York City to develop policies and procedures for implementing the first HUD CDBG-DR funded homeowner reimbursement programs.  H2Bravo worked closely with the City and the State to develop methods for grantees to use onsite assessments of completed repairs instead of reviewing tens of thousands of individual repair receipts.  This resulted in a cost savings of millions of dollars in administrative dollars, sped recovery resources to homeowners who were facing foreclosure and reduced risk by using standardized pricing.

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The success of the Build It Back Program was due in large part to H2Bravo’s expertise in managing large-scale disaster recovery programs. The program helped thousands of homeowners return to safe, secure housing while ensuring compliance with federal funding requirements.