The New York Ida Homeowner Repair and Reimbursement (IHRR) program provides U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding for homeowners to repair and/or get reimbursed for damage caused by Hurricane Ida in 2021. Administered by NYS Homes and Community Renewal, the program can cover costs for repairs, reconstruction, and mitigation measures like flood-proofing and elevating mechanical systems. Reimbursement is available for eligible expenses already paid out-of-pocket, while grants are available for remaining damage or for future mitigation projects. 

NERIS is required to complete an Initial Site Eligibility Checklist and template Tier 2 checklist for each project in the IHRR program, except for the underlying site visits that are required to complete the Tier 2 template. The specific services required of NERIS under this task include, but are not limited to coordinating with nonprofit sub-recipients implementing the IHRR program, submitting Initial Site Eligibility Checklists and completed project-level Tier 2 reviews to HCR’s Environmental Unit (EU) for approval and remedying items identified by the EU, completing the Initial Site Eligibility Checklist and appropriate Tier 2 template, including all attachments, to demonstrate site specific compliance in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR §§ 58.5 and 58.6 for each project site, assisting in summarizing comments and preparing responses to comments, as necessary, collecting and providing closeout documents required by the Tier 2 template for each project site, performing any other duty that relates to 24 CFR Part 58 HUD Environmental Reviews and other environmental requirements. Additionally, NERIS is responsible for the completion of environmental site visits, endangered species, and wetland delineations and evaluations, and environmental testing that is required to complete the Site Eligibility and Tier 2 Templates, all in accordance with federal, state, and local regulatory standards.