Pinellas County residents affected by Hurricanes Idalia, Helene, and Milton will soon be able to apply for assistance from an $813 million Community Development Block Grant awarded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The grant addresses widespread damage from the three storms, with Hurricane Helene causing over 33,000 homes to be damaged in the county and Hurricane Milton causing approximately 12,000 homes to be damaged just two weeks later.

County officials plan to launch several funding programs within the coming weeks, including:

• Home repair cost reimbursements for completed work
• Displacement rental assistance for residents forced from their homes
• Support for mobile home communities
• Aid for damaged nonprofit organizations
• Assistance for rental property owners

The grant requires 70% of funds to be allocated to residents with low to moderate incomes. After demonstrating that these needs are met, the county may apply for waivers to extend assistance to other income levels.

Pinellas County Commission Chair Brian Scott said the county has hired Horne, an administrative company, to manage the program’s rollout. Officials aim to begin distributing funds to residents by Christmas.

The application process will include call centers and online portals for residents to submit requests. County leaders noted that the timeline represents relatively quick action compared to similar disasters, citing Lee County’s two-year process following Hurricane Ian as a point of comparison.

St. Petersburg residents are excluded from this particular grant, as the city received separate federal funding that it plans to distribute in early 2026.

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(Image credit: The Weather Channel)

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