2 Years After Sandy, Recovery Process Continues In Toms River
By Cleve Bryan
TOMS RIVER, N.J., (CBS) -- Approaching the second anniversary of Sandy the recovery process is far from complete for homeowners.
"I was saying three months, and then I would say oh it's going to be another three months, but it's been two years," says Chad Lorenzo whose family is hoping to finally return to their Toms River home by Thanksgiving.
Doug Quinn's house needs to be demolished and the work hasn't even started.
"The night of the storm was a party compared to what we've been through for the last two years, it's been brutal," says Quinn.
Frustrated homeowners say insurance companies paid out only fractions of their policies and home assistance programs have been sluggish dispersing funds.
Quinn signed a reconstruction award this month but doesn't anticipate his home being ready for move-in until the third Sandy anniversary.
"They're dropping the ball big time and all I see is a lot of finger pointing and a lot of excuses," says Quinn.
Displaced homeowners shouted complaints and questions at Governor Chris Christie as he toured the East Dover Marina Wednesday.
The Marina received a $50,000 economic development grant and Christie pointed out that about $1 billion has been awarded or is in the pipeline for home assistance.
"It's a long time and for anybody who's not back in their home yet, they're going to be incredibly frustrated, I understand that, but we can only go as fast as we can go," says Christie.
His wife Mary Pat Christie also stopped in Toms River for the Sandy anniversary.
She helped volunteers who rebuilt the Lorenzo's house welcome the family home.
It was the 100th home built by A Future with Hope, a program created by the United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey which partners with the Ocean County Long-Term Recovery Group and the New Jersey Relief Fund.
"We continue to need people to be involved because this is going to be another three to four years in terms of what the recovery is here in New Jersey. We still have thousands of people out of their homes," says Bishop John Schol.
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