Pinellas County has become one of the first local governments in the nation to finalize a federally required action plan that secures $813.8 million in disaster recovery funding.

On Tuesday, County Commissioners approved the comprehensive plan following months of community outreach. The document outlines a range of initiatives—from direct relief payments to long-term recovery programs—designed to help residents, businesses, and neighborhoods recover from a destructive hurricane season.

The plan will remain open for public comment through May 23. Once finalized, officials will submit it to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for approval. Many of the programs are expected to launch in the fall.

“We’re aiming to submit our plan to HUD by June 1, and we’ll likely be among the first to do so based on the January 21 notice,” said Matt Spoor, assistant county administrator. “Maui might be the only other locality on the same timeline.”

The funding comes from HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Of all local governments, only Maui County, Hawaii—which received $1.64 billion—was awarded more than Pinellas. HUD also allocated $159.9 million to the City of St. Petersburg, which is developing its own plan under the “Sunshine St. Pete” initiative.

Combined, Pinellas and St. Petersburg’s allocation of $973.7 million exceeds the State of Florida’s $925.4 million, and ranks just behind Maui and North Carolina’s $1.43 billion. In January, both jurisdictions hired professional services firm Horne to help develop and manage the plans, with work beginning February 5.

“They’ve been great partners throughout this process,” Spoor said. “We’ve learned a lot and made quick progress.”

Public input played a major role in shaping the plan. More than 3,200 residents and 44 businesses completed surveys, and officials from every local municipality participated in stakeholder meetings. Nearly 200 residents attended in-person sessions, over 3,400 bilingual flyers were distributed, and more than 2,300 people signed up for ongoing updates.

The county will hold two final public meetings on May 13 and May 15. Commissioners have authorized County Administrator Barry Burton to revise the plan based on additional feedback or HUD requirements.

Recent updates to the plan include the addition of disaster relief payments. Horne consultant Ryan Flannery said the firm expanded its analysis to include eviction and foreclosure data to support financial assistance for individuals facing hurricane-related hardships.

At least 70% of the funding must benefit residents with low to moderate incomes—defined as earning less than 80% of the area median income (AMI), or $83,450 for a family of four. However, homeowners and renters earning up to 120% of AMI ($125,160 for a family of four) may still qualify for several programs.

Commissioner Chris Latvala raised concerns that some hard-hit coastal communities may not meet those income thresholds. Burton noted that only about 20% of Treasure Island residents would be considered low to moderate income, though many are long-time homeowners now living on fixed incomes.

“We’ll learn a lot once we open applications,” Burton said. “The challenge is figuring out how to maximize the benefit for our residents—especially when it comes to the separate hazard mitigation funding we’ve received.”

Flannery added that priority will be given to applicants based on age, disability status, income, and whether they have dependents. He also emphasized that a portion of the funds has been reserved for those who don’t meet low-income criteria but still need help.

“There are many who don’t qualify as LMI but are far from financially secure,” Flannery said. “They’ve drained their savings and are scraping by. We’ve set aside funds specifically for them.”

Planned recovery programs include:

• Home repair and construction assistance
• Reimbursement for completed repairs
• First-time homebuyer aid
• Relocation support for mobile home residents
• Affordable rental housing for local landlords
• Rent, mortgage, and utility relief
• Small business and nonprofit support
• City and county-level storm mitigation projects
  

To view the full plan, explore key highlights, or submit comments, visit the county’s official recovery webpage here.

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(Image credit: Pinellas Recovers website)

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