NJ tells Ida victims in Manville there's no money to rebuild

🏠 Some homeowners in Manville just found out they won't get funds to elevate their houses after Ida

🏠 Homeowners will only be offered buyouts and many can't afford to rebuild on their own

🏠 Climate change was cited as the reason for the new policy

MANVILLE — Nearly two years after the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded their community, some Somerset County homeowners are finding out that the state has no intention of helping to pay for them to rebuild their houses.

Remnants from Hurricane Ida devastated Manville on Sept. 1, 2021, with heavy rains that flooded entire sections of the borough that sit between the Raritan and Millstone rivers. Many homes have been demolished while others waited for federal funding to rebuild.

Screengrab of Maxar satellite imagery provided by Cleighton Smith.

The state's new policy is that there will be no federal spending to help victims in Manville elevate their homes if they live within a newly designated "disaster risk area." A flyer from the state dated Aug. 4 detailing the new Flood Risk Reduction Policy says money will only be offered to homeowners living in those areas for buyouts through the Blue Acres program.

More than three weeks later, Manville Floodplains Manager Cleighton Smith said to New Jersey 101.5 that the borough is still waiting on more precise maps detailing the new disaster risk area from the governor's office. Mayor Richard Onderko recently filed an OPRA request to obtain the maps, Smith said Monday.

(NJ DEP/Canva)

🏠 Manville residents impacted by Hurricane Ida forced to move

The decision came from the top without input from Manville, Smith said. And it will have a sizable impact on the residents who own homes in Manville because they can't afford to live anywhere else nearby, he said.

Nearly 10% of the borough lives in poverty, according to census data. The average household income is around $80,000.

"Nobody has the money to elevate," Smith said.

Simon Wolyniec stands in the basement of his Manville, N.J., home. (AP photo)

They will be forced to accept a buyout through the Blue Acres program, which offers the pre-flood fair market value for the home, or sell their home to a developer who will then flip and resell the property.

The disaster risk area includes 17% of Manville's houses and around 2,000 of the borough's 11,000 residents, the New Jersey Monitor reported. Local officials are concerned that the policy would force people out of their homes now and impact its tax ratables in the future, according to the report.

Foundation collapse on Saint John St. in Manville (via Cleighton Smith)

Many people were already in discussions with the Department of Community Affairs about obtaining funding to rebuild when the policy was announced. Those discussions were dropped.

Around 79 homeowners waiting for funding to rebuild will now have to figure out other plans, Lisa Ryan, spokesperson for the DCA, said.

Foundation collapse on Dukes Parkway in Manville after Hurricane Ida (via Cleighton Smith)

🏠 Climate change making Manville less safe

Climate change has made certain areas such a high risk of repeated flooding that even higher elevations would not make homes in those areas safe during a disaster event, Ryan said.

"Climate change is causing flood risks across New Jersey to increase, and areas that have never flooded before are now seeing regular and significant inundation. In response, the State is taking necessary planning, policy, and regulatory actions to prepare for a shift in the way we develop, redevelop, and recover after climate events," Ryan said in a statement.

A Manville Police Officer stands guard near the remains of a house that exploded due to severe flooding from Tropical Storm Ida in Manville (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

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Federal funding is "very limited" and the state wants to spend it on homes that are at less risk of facing future devastating floods, Ryan said. The decision was made with input from the DCA, the state Office of Emergency Management, and the Department of Environmental Protection.

As for safety during floods, Smith said that homes that aren't elevated do pose a safety risk. Three homes caught fire and burned to the ground in Manville because their residents didn't turn off the gas or electricity when they evacuated, Smith said.

MORE: Owner of Manville, NJ club that exploded after Ida waits for FEMA

But he said the borough recently passed an ordinance increasing its free board, or required elevation. And Manville makes sure everyone is up to code, Smith said.

"Some communities are lax on the compliance aspect. We're not," Smith said.

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