Page 9 - The Long Road Home

The research for this report was conducted through an extensive effort by volunteers and communities impacted by Sandy, in partnership with researchers from Rutgers University and Stockton University’s Office of Service-Learning. It is community- based participatory research, meaning both key survey areas and questions were identified through meetings in Sandy- impacted communities. Once developed, the survey tool was deployed and over 500 surveys were conducted in person at people’s homes and online. Outreach was conducted at community events, and through neighborhood canvassing and online outreach. Assistance was provided by numerous faith, advocacy, and educational organizations and with the help of New Jersey media outlets. Focused outreach was conducted in Atlantic City, Little Egg Harbor, Manahawkin, and the Toms River
area, communities severely impacted by Sandy.
The survey was conducted in person by community captains who were trained on the survey and subject matter (and in many cases had also survived Sandy themselves), on the phone by trained volunteers, and self- directed through an online tool.
This survey was launched a week before the fourth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy in October of 2016; the survey was open for five months and completed in February of 2017. In some cases, respondents who had already completed the survey would provide an update when something significant happened in their rebuilding process, or multiple members of the same household would respond. After combining surveys by household and including updated information provided, the stories
of 492 households are included in this report. The majority of those households had more than one adult at the time of the storm and 169 of them included children.
The survey sought information from primary homeowners, renters whose homes were damaged, and people who lost income or whose jobs were impacted. The vast majority, 92 percent, of respondents were homeowners whose primary residences were damaged. While the results of this survey include all of the responses, the report focuses on programs for and issues faced by homeowners as they comprised the bulk of the respondents. On average, surveys completed in person or over the phone took between 45 minutes and an hour. This report is possible because of the time that Sandy survivors invested in making their stories heard.
Photo: Krista Sperber, Grass Creative.
METHODOLOGY
NEW JERSEY RESOURCE PROJECT
9