Hurricane Helene & Milton - Recovery Assistance Information

This information page will be continue to be updated as new information becomes available. For all storm-related information, please visit the Hurricane Helene Information Page and Hurricane Milton Information Page.

UPDATED MARCH 5, 2025

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDS (CDBG-DR)

Overview

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) directly awarded Pinellas County funding to support long‐term recovery efforts following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. These funds are designated to primarily benefit low- and moderate-income households and communities. Each CDBG-DR activity must address a disaster-related impact (direct or indirect), be a CDBG eligible activity, and meet a CDBG national objective.

$813,783,000

Total Pinellas County CDBG-DR Direct Allocation

CDBG-DR funding supports disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, economic revitalization and mitigation in the most impacted and distressed areas, according to HUD. These funds are designated to primarily benefit low- and moderate-income households and communities.

No program allocations have been made at this time.

Pinellas County will announce opportunities for public input on developing an action plan for these funds in the near future. Identifying how to best use the funds and starting programs to distribute them is expected to take several months. Stay tuned for more information. Additional questions, contact Matthew Spoor, Pinellas County Administration, recovery@pinellas.gov, 727-464-4600

Pinellas County CDBG-DR Public Hearings
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

• South County - April 7th
  • Lealman Exchange (Ray Neri Room)
  • 5175 45th St. N.
  • St. Petersburg, FL 33714
• Mid County - April 10th
  • City of Dunedin - City Hall (Commission Chambers)
  • 737 Louden Ave.
  • Dunedin FL, 34698
• North County - April 24th
  • Harbor Hall/White Chapel
  • 1190 Georgia Ave.
  • Palm Harbor, FL 34683

ELEVATE FLORIDA - STATEWIDE RESIDENTIAL MITIGATION PROGRAM - UPDATED MARCH 5, 2025

Elevate Florida is a first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking statewide residential mitigation program. Led by the FDEM, this program is designed to protect homes and communities by reducing damage caused by natural disasters like hurricanes and floods.

Application Details

The Elevate Florida application portal has launched! To apply, create an account and complete the application on the Elevate Florida Portal. The prior link was to the application portal was incorrect, please use the corrected link, https://fdem-resmit.my.site.com/Elevate/

FDEM Elevate Florida Sessions

FDEM will be hosting various sessions that will cover eligibility requirements, types of projects available, and offer on-site assistance with applications.

Detailed information can be found by downloading the informational flyer.

Property Owner Eligibility

Your property does not need to have experienced flooding or damage to be considered. However, applications may be prioritized based on history of loss. Property owners must:

• Be over the age of 18,
• Be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien,
• The legal owner of the residential property in the State of Florida, and
• Be able to contribute up to twenty-five percent (25%) of the project's total cost. Property owners will be required to provide up to 25% of initial inspection costs prior to inspections being completed. Total project cost will vary based on factors such as project type, square footage of living space, foundation and construction type, and any necessary project activities. Approved property owners will receive a detailed breakdown of their construction cost-share and will have time to decide if they would like to move forward with the project's next phase. The cost-share will also include relocation expenses during construction, meaning the program will pay at least 75 percent of these expenses.

Multi-family real estate such as duplexes, triplexes, condos, townhomes, semi-detached homes, apartments and manufactured homes may be eligible.

Eligible Construction Projects

• Structure Elevation: Physically raising an existing structure.
• Mitigation Reconstruction: The construction of an improved, elevated building on the same site where an existing building and/or foundation has been partially or completely demolished or destroyed. These activities result in the construction of code-compliant and hazard-resistant structures. Mitigation Reconstruction is the alternative to Structure Elevation when the structure is not sound enough to elevate, as determined during application review.
• Acquisition/Demolition: A structure is purchased from voluntary sellers and demolished, to be maintained by the local community as open space. The local community must agree to participate in this project type.
• Wind Mitigation: Measures that reduce the risk of future wind damage to structures. This may include alterations to the roof, windows, doors, and other vulnerable components of structures. Wind mitigation is another alternative for homes that are not sound enough to elevate.

Potential Program Benefits

• Significant Cost Savings – Homeowners can save 75–100 percent on the cost of protecting their property from future flood damage, making it a cost-effective alternative to managing the project independently.
• Lower Insurance Premiums – Reduce flood insurance costs with improved property resilience.
• Increased Property Value – Strengthen your home’s value with long-term flood protection.
• Comprehensive Support – Enjoy end-to-end assistance, from application to construction, including contractor services, temporary housing support, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations.

We encourage you to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to safeguard your home both enhancing resiliency in your community and for all Floridians. If you have any program questions or need help with the application, you can submit inquiries through the “Contact Us” page on the portal or email info@elevatefl.org. You can also call the contact center Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET at 877-ELEV8FL (877-353-8835). To access TTY services, dial 711.

For more information including a Homeowner Guide and frequently asked questions, please visit the portal at the link above.

NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY INTEREST FORM

We know that many of our residents were affected by the past several storms. At this time, we are currently waiting for funding to become available, which could take quite some time, possible 1.5 - 2 years. Although we do not have those dates, we continue attending meetings with the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) and FEMA to learn more about funding opportunities. In the interim, we will keep your name as an interested party.

Please complete the Notice of Voluntary Interest Form and email it back to either pharbert@ctsfl.us or maraya@tsfr.us. We will notify you once funding becomes available.

HOMEOWNERS / RENTERS RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

Homeowner Recovery Assistance Available

FEMA Assistance: FEMA is offering a wide variety of help to people affected by the recent hurricanes. Every homeowner and renter who suffered damage is encouraged to apply. All individuals who are impacted by a storm should apply for FEMA assistance. Please call 1-800-621-3362, or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov to apply. Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance click here.

**If you applied to FEMA after Hurricane Debby and have additional damage from Hurricane Helene, you will need to apply separately for Helene and provide the dates of your most recent damage.

Pinellas County Hurricane Repair Program

The Hurricane Home Repair Program helps homeowners impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton pay for storm repairs not covered by insurance or FEMA. Eligible residents may receive up to $30,000 in grant funding for eligible repairs. Funding is provided by the Florida State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP) and Pinellas County.

For more information, visit www.Pinellas.gov/StormRepair.

Renter Assistance Available

FEMA Assistance: FEMA Individual Assistance is available to renters, including students, as well as homeowners with uninsured losses. FEMA awards may help pay for temporary housing. Renters may also qualify for an award under FEMA's Other Needs Assistance program for uninsured or underinsured essential personal property losses and other disaster-related expenses. These may include:

• Replacement or repair of necessary personal property, such as furniture, appliances, clothing, textbooks, or school supplies.
• Repair or replacement of tools and other job-related equipment required by the self-employed.
• If your vehicle was damaged by the storms and is no longer operable (and the vehicle complies with state registration and insurance requirements) FEMA may be able to help.
• Uninsured or out-of-pocket funeral, medical, dental, childcare, assistance for miscellaneous items, moving and storage expenses.

Renters are encouraged to apply by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by visiting www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

SBA Assistance: Whether you rent or own your own home, business, or farm located in a declared disaster area, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the Small Business Administration. Please note that the filing deadline for SBA might be different than the FEMA deadline. Make sure you pay attention to the deadlines.

• Apply by phone to SBA: 1-800-659-2955
• Apply online anytime at https://lending.sba.gov/search-disaster/.
• E-mail: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

FEMA RENTAL ASSISTANCE

FEMA may provide financial assistance to rent alternate temporary housing if you are displaced from your primary residence due to Hurricanes Helene and/or Milton. FEMA Rental Assistance is intended to cover the monthly rent amount, which may include a security deposit, as a place other than your damaged home. Your rental can be near your job, home, school and place of worship. The assistance may include essential utilities such as gas, oil, trash, sewer, electricity, and water, but not cable or internet.

Download the Informational Flyer for more information.

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TAX RELIEF

The Florida Department of Revenue is is offering tax relief in the wake of Hurricane Helene. More information can be found by clicking here to download the document.

HOUSING OPTIONS FOR STORM DISPLACED RESIDENTS

If you have been displaced due to Hurricane Helene, a list of resources to help you search for short-and-long term housing options is available here: https://pinellas.gov/hurricanehousing

FEMA Displacement Assistance may also be available to displaced residents after receiving an inspection. The funds can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends or for other options while you look for temporary housing. Click here for more information.

BUSINESS RECOVERY ASSISTANCE

Business Recovery Assistance Available
Businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene can now access disaster recovery assistance and emergency loan programs. (Download Informational Flyer Here)

1. Complete the Florida Business Disaster Assessment Survey at https://floridadisaster.biz/Respond/BusinessDamageAssessmentsSurvey.
2. Apply to the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan at https://floridacommerce.my.site.com/RebuildFloridaBusinessLoanFund/s/. Loans provide short-term, zero-interest working capital loans to "bridge the gap" between the time the disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer term funding.
3. Apply to SBA Disaster Assistance at https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance/hurricane-helene. Physical Disaster Loans for repair/replacement of business property, and Economic Injury Loans for working capital are available.
4. Other Resources:
   • Pinellas Disaster Information and Assistance at https://pinellas.gov/emergency-assistance/.
   • Federal Disaster Assistance (FEMA) at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.
   • SBDC Technical Assistance at https://floridasbdc.org/request-for-consulting/.

Businesses can meet with consultants from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Pinellas County by calling 727-453-7200 or emailing businesshelp@pinellas.gov.

UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is now available!

FloridaCommerce announced that Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available to businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene and are not eligible for regular state or federal Reemployment Assistance benefits. Eligible Floridians whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene are encouraged to submit a claim at FloridaJobs.org.

Are you Self-Employed or Work from Home?

FEMA can help replace tools and equipment required for self-employment, or not provided by an employer by required for employment. Eligible items may include:

• Computers
• Uniforms
• Occupational Tools (Essential tools and equipment not provided or supplied by an employer and required by an employer as a condition of employment.)

Visit DisasterAssistance.gov for more information or download the informational flyer.