In April, the state switched the program’s administrator from ProSource Technologies to IEM, which submitted the lowest bid to manage the program. Mittleman said that since then, a lack of communication has created a host of problems, and that program officials refuse to hold town hall meetings to answer residents’ questions. So Sandy victims have to rely on one another, and Facebook pages like Mittleman’s, to get advice and disseminate information, she said.

Not only is the rebuilding program a mess, Mittleman said, but NY Rising’s buyout and acquisition program has problems of its own. Many people who were tired of waiting for money to rebuild their homes jumped at the opportunity to take payouts and walk away, she said. But now they find themselves in a similar situation, waiting for those payments — essentially waiting in a different line. Mittleman said that there are 700 people enrolled in the program, but only 34 houses have been closed on.

“People are just waiting, hoping they get an offer,” she said.

Eramo said that most of the residents of his block have returned, but Gallo said that aside from five houses that are almost complete, the rest of her block on Pennsylvania is empty bungalows.

“We have neighbors on our street that haven’t even started,” she said. “If you don’t have savings, you’re stuck. Everybody is kind of still suffering, and will probably suffer for a long time. It would be nice to see them come home.”