Federal Grant To Help Get Unemployed Conn. Residents Back To Work In Storm Clean-Up Effort

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - A federal grant awarded to Connecticut in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy will be used to get unemployed residents back to work in temporary Sandy-related recovery jobs, the state announced Tuesday.

The federal government issued a $1.8 million grant to the state to help with the recovery and clean-up effort, Gov. Dannel Malloy said.

"In addition to temporarily hiring those who have been dislocated or are unemployed, this federal grant will assist the state and our cities and towns in rebuilding in the wake of this devastating storm," Malloy said in a news release.

Under the terms of the grant, applicants seeking temporary storm-related work must be unemployed either as a result of Sandy or prior to the storm and no longer receiving unemployment benefits.

The grant will allow the state to pay for roughly 120 new positions for up to 20 weeks for clean-up, demolition, repair, renovation and reconstruction of public structures and property damaged in the storm.

The temporary jobs may also include projects that provide food, shelter or other humanitarian aid to disaster victims, according to the governor's office.

"In partnership with FEMA, our local municipalities, the state's Emergency Management Office and regional Workforce Investment Boards, we are identifying relief, restoration and clean-up projects that meet the criteria of the grant, and taking information from residents who may also meet the federal guidelines," said state Department of Labor Commissioner Sharon Palmer.

Residents interested in a temporary position should email their closest CTWorks Career Center and provide their name, address, phone number, email address and current employment status. CTWorks Career Center contact information can be downloaded by clicking here.

Last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a federal grant to help get thousands of New Yorkers back to work in the Sandy clean-up effort.

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