Federal rules, local missteps holding up housing aid for superstorm Sandy victims
Measures designed to protect against the fraud and misspending rampant after Hurricane Katrina have held up housing aid for thousands of victims of superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey. Local regulations and poor service from contractors have also hampered the situation.
Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato has already secured 49 indictments involving Sandy-related fraud, and there are another 50 active investigations.
Environmental groups charge that state Department of Environmental Protection's Coastal Zone Management Act rules allow too many buildings to be in the path of future storms.
Five years into a housing meltdown, questions are coming up about how long some publicly held home builders can survive without significant improvement in the market.