One million New York City school children returned to classes Monday, a week after superstorm Sandy devastated much of the U.S. East Coast, but workers continued to endure long commutes and many homes remained without power.

Even as the city struggled to regain some semblance of a normal start to the work week, thousands of New York and New Jersey residents remained homeless. Their homes were left uninhabitable by the storm's raging flood waters or destroyed by wind-swept fires.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg estimated that up to 40,000 people may need temporary housing. Authorities are particularly concerned about the plight of the homeless as nighttime temperatures in the eastern U.S. are now falling to near freezing.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Sunday that the federal government is looking to move the homeless from shelters to temporary apartments and hotels.

White House spokesman Jay Carney says more than 200,000 people affected by the storm have applied for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and that $192 million has been released so far.

The storm killed more than 100 people and caused up to $50 billion in damages.