Politics & Government

Governor Unveils 'Shoreline Resiliency Fund'

The program, announced on the one-year anniversary of SuperStorm Sandy, would provide low-interest loans to help waterside homeowners weather future storms.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday unveiled a new program that would give low-interest loans to eligible shoreline property owners who want to flood-proof their homes or businesses. 

The Shoreline Resiliency Fund can be utilized only to elevate homes and flood-proof businesses where it is feasible and required by the National Flood Insurance Program. To be eligible, homeowners or business owners must be subject to coastal flooding and be located in either Zone VE or Coastal Zone AE as defined by FEMA.

Homes eligible for the program are restricted to secondary and primary single-family homes and 1- to 4-unit owner-occupied rentals and businesses. There is no income cap.

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“Generations of Connecticut residents have made their homes along our shoreline — in unique communities that are part of what make Connecticut so special,” Malloy said in a news release. “Unfortunately, these areas increasingly bear the brunt of severe weather and storm surges.

“On the one-year anniversary of Super Storm Sandy, this new Shoreline Resiliency Fund will provide real, direct help to residents as they prepare for whatever Mother Nature has in store for the years ahead. It will allow homeowners and business owners to better protect their property without worrying about the restrictions and limitations they might face with similar federal programs.”

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“Sandy taught us all that we need to step up our preparation for the next inevitable super storm, and state government must be a partner in that effort,” Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said in the release. “This fund will provide critical aid for shoreline homeowners to be ready and I encourage all who may qualify to consider taking advantage of it.”

Flood-proofing is defined under the program as “any combination of structural and non-structural additions, changes, or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.”

Flood-proofing includes ensuring that:

  • Walls are watertight (substantially impermeable to the passage of water)
  • Structural components can resist hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and effects of buoyancy
  • Utilities are protected from flood damage


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