Last week communities across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast braced for an historic storm as Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the East Coast. Those of us in Washington, D.C. watched with shock and sadness as the storm left a path of destruction throughout New Jersey, Connecticut and my home state of New York.

 As recovery efforts began President Obama delivered remarks at the headquarters of the American Red Cross, directing all federal agencies:

 ”… to figure out how we do something. I want you to cut through red tape. I want you to cut through bureaucracy. There’s no excuse for inaction at this point. I want every agency to lean forward and to make sure that we are getting the resources where they need — where they’re needed as quickly as possible.”

 As we think about our partners, stakeholders, and grantees impacted by this disaster, we want to understand the challenges you are facing and ensure that you can access OVW resources that may be useful during this time. To that end, I have directed the following:

1. Grantees in the major federal disaster areas – currently New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – whose grants were scheduled to end on October 31, 2012, will be granted an automatic no-cost extension of 30 calendar days in order to provide them with additional time to request a further extension or begin the closeout process.
2. Grantees in the major federal disaster areas – currently New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – who were unable to meet the Financial Status Reporting deadline of October 30, 2012 and as a result have had their funds frozen, will have access to their funds restored and be granted an automatic 30-day extension to submit the required reports for the last quarter of fiscal year 2012. If you anticipate a further delay and are unable to submit your Financial Status Reports by November 30, 2012 you can request an additional 30-day extension by contacting OVW GFMD at 1.888.514.8556 or OVW.GFMD@usdoj.gov.

OVW anticipates these changes to be in effect this week. Please be assured that our staff is available should you need to request additional support.

 As the Northeast braces for another storm, President Obama continues to work with federal agencies in support of the ongoing response and recovery efforts. We are committed to our partners, stakeholders and grantees, and we hope these actions will allow you to focus on the top priorities in your community and your families. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this tragic storm.

 Sincerely,

Bea Hanson

Acting Director