The city of Bridgeport will receive $500,000 in Hurricane Sandy Relief grant funds from the New York City-based Robin Hood Foundation.

The city was chosen from among nearly 1,000 applicants in communities throughout the tri-state area to receive the large grant.

Bridgeport was the only Connecticut municipality included in a recently announced round of funding totaling $7 million to towns and cities in the Nutmeg State, New York and New Jersey, hit hard by October’s Hurricane Sandy. So far, the Robin Hood Foundation has surpassed $70 million in Hurricane Sandy relief grants.

The $500,000 grant will be used to help elderly and low-income residents of Seaside Village and Marina Village that suffered significant damage due to Hurricane Sandy. The funds will be used for housing rehabilitation, reconstruction, temporary rental assistance and furniture and appliance replacement.

The grant must now be approved by the city’s Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee and the City Council. Once approved, the city will establish an assessment committee to be appointed by the mayor, which will eventually determine which households will be compensated based on the level of their need. A percentage of Robin Hood Relief Funds will be set aside for individuals who have experienced significant damages, such as those whose home has been rendered uninhabitable. The primary purpose of the $500,000 grant funds will be to assist Seaside Village residents who have the most need to elevate basement utilities in their units.

Understanding the grant will not be enough to cover all costs associated with utility elevation, the city will also be applying for disaster recovery funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to supplement the Robin Hood Relief Funds.

Finally, another portion of funding will be allocated to those who experienced personal property damage, such as the loss of furniture or appliances. In order to apply for assistance, a household must have the necessary documentation of flood or wind damage. If a household does not have appropriate documentation, the assessment committee will enlist city Code Enforcement Officers to determine if damages occurred and to what extent. All applicants must meet income eligibility requirements of low and moderate income status, as determined by HUD.