GSN Aug/Sept Digital Edition

A significant portion of eligibleFEMA funding for NYCHA projectswill be applied toward mitigationmeasures to help disaster-damagedbuildings better withstand futuredisasters, including dry floodproofingof structures and certainutilities, elevating equipment andproviding backup power generatorsto certain damaged facilities.Traditionally, Public Assistancefunding is provided based on estimatesand reimbursed at actual costof completed projects. Under theAlternative Procedures Pilot Programfor Permanent Work, eligibleapplicants may request this fixedcap grant funding for repair, restora-tion,reconstruction, or replacementof the disaster-damaged facility.The grant amount is capped onceFEMA, the State and the applicantagree on the damage, scope of workand estimated cost. Work must befinished within the established timeperiod, including approved timeextensions, and managed by the applicantto ensure it is com-pletedfor the capped amount. Additionalfunding is not available if an applicantspends more than the fixedestimate. If the completed pro-jectis finished for less than the cappedamount, the applicant may use theexcess funds for other eligible PublicAssistance projects.Nextdoor.com social networkstrives to make communitiessafer, strongerBy Steve BittenbenderIt may seem counterintuitive to consider that the best way to communicatewith your neighbor is through social media, but that’s just the service a SanFrancisco company offers.And it’s finding more and more communities that are interested in connectingwith each other that way.Nextdoor.com is a private social network that is free to use and seeks tobuild strongerand safer neighborhoods.Nearly70,000 communitieshavesigned up for theservice, which allow residents to communicate about a variety of issues,from finding out about service providers to touching base with each otherbefore, during and after an emergency.What makes Nextdoor unique is its privacy features, said Kelsey Grady,the site’s communications director. Unlike Facebook, Twitter or other socialmedia sites, the information posted on a neighborhood’s Nextdoor pageis shared only with the residents of that area. It can’t even be found in aGoogle search.“Our members actually establish the boundaries” for their Nextdoor sites,she said. The average Nextdoor community has about 750 households. Acommunity could consist of an entire small town, a residential neighborhoodor even an apartment complex.But before someone is granted access to a community page, Grady saidNextdoor verifies the address and identity of the person seeking to join toensure they belong to the area.While some people think the rise of social media has led to the growingtrend of people becoming less connected in their community – Grady citeda Pew Research Group study showing that 28 percent of people could notMore on page 4941