Discrimination Limits Sandy Recovery Efforts

Many New Jersey residents are waiting for state aid to help them rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. But not everyone is receiving a fair share of recovery funds. How will Governor Chris Christie respond?

1 minute read

March 19, 2014, 5:00 AM PDT

By Sapna Desai


“Superstorm Sandy did not discriminate. But the Christie administration appears to be doing so,” says Alan Mallach.

Surely all victims of the 2012 storm deserve the help they need, regardless of race. But in New Jersey funds are disproportionately being funneled to white applicants versus black and Latino applicants.

Mallach writes, “For thousands of New Jersey residents of color, this unequal treatment is like a second devastating storm surge, sweeping them farther and farther from economic security, family stability and a return to normalcy more than a year after the storm. And it potentially violates federal laws requiring state and local governments using federal funds to protect civil rights and affirmatively further fair housing.”

What does this mean for Christie and his aspirations to the presidency? Mallach explains: “Voters of color will be watching closely how Christie responds to this latest crisis. Will he belittle the concerns and attack the messengers, as he initially did with the George Washington Bridge scandal? Or will he take in the evidence of unequal opportunity—derived from the state’s own data—and develop a plan to correct it?”

Monday, March 17, 2014 in Rooflines

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Los Angeles, California

Op-Ed: Looking for Efficiency? Fund Intercity Buses

Much less expensive than rail, intercity buses serve millions of Americans every year, but public subsidies are lacking.

45 minutes ago - Smart Cities Dive

A bus stop in Philadelphia, where people wait under a glass shelter for a bus as it arrives.

Philadelphia Councilmember Proposes Transit Access Fund

The plan would allocate 0.5 percent of the general fund toward mobility subsidies for low-income households.

1 hour ago - Streetsblog USA

Cyclists on an empty rural paved road with hills and sunset in background.

Texas Bill Would Ban Road Diets, Congestion Pricing

A Texas state senator wants to prevent any discussion of congestion pricing and could suspend existing bike lane and sidewalk projects.

2 hours ago - Houston Chronicle