Almost 11 months after Hurricane Helene battered the City of St. Petersburg and well beyond, some homeowners say they’re still waiting on the city to approve repair permits — even as another hurricane season gains momentum.

Back in March, city officials admitted there were about 1,400 storm-related permits stuck in the pipeline. At the time, the mayor pledged all single-family permits would be processed by the end of that month, aiming for a one-week turnaround afterward.

But for residents like Brianna Faenza, those assurances haven’t played out. Her Jungle Terrace home took on a foot of water during the storm. The damage was straightforward, she said — no rebuild, just drywall removal. Insurance money arrived quickly, and a contractor applied for the permit months ago. Yet, 250 days later, she’s still waiting.

In the meantime, Faenza listed her home for sale and moved to DeLand. Then in July, she was hit with a code violation for unpermitted work — despite still waiting for approval.

City officials say they launched code compliance cases for all Helene- and Milton-damaged homes without active permits. Faenza calls it “insane.”

“When you’re penalizing the people who are trying to get a permit and follow the rules, it’s just crazy to me,” she told WTVT.

The city’s online code enforcement map shows thousands of open cases. In January alone, roughly 14,000 were initiated.

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