Mayor Bill de Blasio helped spearhead a new water bill credit for residents in southern Queens through the Build It Back program. Photo Courtesy Mayor de Blasio’s office
The city’s Build It Back program announced new water bill credits to homeowners whose homes were left vacant in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, director Amy Peterson said this week.
The program director fired off a letter to residents of southern Queens in tandem with the city Department of Environmental Protection and the Housing Recovery Office identifying 1,500 homeowners eligible for the latest form of disaster relief. Through the Build It Back program, those residents secured a non-refundable $750 credit on their next water bill, Peterson said.
“These people have been determined to have been out of their homes for a significant period of time between Nov. 1, 2012 and June 30, 2014 and as a result had a minimum charge applied to their water and sewer bill,” Peterson said.
Additionally, Peterson said any homeowners who were not included in the 1,500 figure could still reach out to Build It Back if they think they should be eligible for the same credit.
“While the city used a number of factors and data sources to identify these homes, it is likely that homeowners who have been out of their homes for a significant period of time were not included in this initial list.”
For more information, Peterson said residents can contact the Build It Back Customer Service Line at (212) 615-8329 or email housing @recovery.nyc.gov.
By The Forum staff
