Residents of the Gulf Harbors neighborhood in Pasco County, Florida are struggling to repair their flood-damaged homes due to lengthy delays in obtaining building permits from the county.
Chad Karr and his wife are currently living in a rented camper with their two dogs after their home took on nearly a foot of water during Hurricane Helene. Karr said his home has been professionally remediated, but he can’t get the necessary permits from Pasco County to begin repairs.
“They keep passing the buck. They keep moving it from one person to another. The wait time for my general contractor on the phone when I spoke to him, he’s sitting for an hour on hold just to get one answer,” Karr told ABC Action News.
It’s not just a slow permitting process, FEMA Stop Work Orders are also halting progress for many weary homeowners.
Paris Tsirnikas, the President of the Gulf Harbors Civic Association, is also facing permit delays. He said he was told his permit for minor repairs like baseboards, doors, and a new dishwasher would take 7-10 days, but it’s now been 10 days and he still hasn’t heard anything.
Many residents feel the county is micromanaging the permitting process at a time when so many are desperate to rebuild. “I think people in government forget that there’s human lives at stake here. People cannot afford to maintain a second residence while they are repairing this one,” Tsirnikas said.
Karr said even simple tasks like getting an AC unit installed have become complicated, with the county changing the rules four times in one week just to issue a permit.
While Pasco County has waived permitting fees and set up two pop-up permit locations, residents say the process still needs to be streamlined to help them get back into their homes. They hope local leaders will step in to provide more support.
St. Pete-Clearwater Sun 
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