For Kathy Kaestner, the list of home repairs seems never-ending.

“We had to rip out all the floors, all the drywall four feet and under, the cabinets,” Kaestner said. “I lost all my appliances.”

Local news station, WFTS previously shared Kaestner’s story. Living in Tampa’s Forest Hills neighborhood, she suffered severe flood damage after Hurricane Milton.

“It was pretty bad—about 19 inches of water inside my house,” she recalled. “Pretty much everything two feet and below was lost.”

Now, help is on the way. The City of Tampa is preparing to launch a new disaster assistance program for homeowners affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. With $3.2 million in available funding, the city aims to assist primary homesteaded and income-eligible residents.

“We are excited to announce $3.2 million in funding, provided by the state, as part of an affordable housing initiative,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “We’re redirecting these funds to help homeowners who suffered damage from Helene and Milton.”

Three Types of Assistance Available:

• Insurance Deductible Assistance – Up to $10,000
  
• Mortgage Assistance – Up to $5,000
  
• Home Repair Assistance – Up to $20,000
  

To qualify, applicants must be homeowners within Tampa city limits and earn up to 140% of the Area Median Income (AMI), estimated at about $133,700 for a family of four. Homeowners can apply for one or more forms of aid, with a maximum payout of $20,000 per household.

“While $3.2 million won’t cover all the needs in our community, we are doing everything we can to help residents and businesses recover,” Mayor Castor emphasized.

Homeowners should review required documentation for each type of assistance before applying.

Pre-applications open online on today, Monday, March 24. For full details, visit: Tampa Homeowner Disaster Assistance Program.

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(Image credit: City of Tampa)

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