Bordering Long Island and Queens, the Rockaways is a part of New York City that is all too familiar with flooding. In 2012, coastal flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy decimated the area, leaving community organizations like the Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity to help organize and rebuild while advocating for residents.
In addition to the frequent threat of waterlogged basements, dangerous mold and toxic sludge, many people in the Rockaways are overwhelmed by the costs of insuring buildings against flooding, according to Jeanne DuPont, founder and executive director of RISE.
Even the nonprofit organization itself struggles to afford the $5,025 annual flood insurance bill on its 1920s-era headquarters on Rockaway Beach Boulevard which, like other properties in high-risk areas with government-backed mortgages, is required to have flood insurance. “I think in general, for low-income residents [in the Rockaways], most of them cannot afford to have the flood insurance in the first place,” she said.
If people don’t keep up with their flood insurance payments, they risk losing their mortgage and having to buy their own home from the bank – something few people have the liquid assets to be able to do.
