Pasco County has received $585 million in federal disaster recovery funding to help residents rebuild after Hurricanes Helene, Milton, and Idalia, county officials announced Tuesday.

The Community Development Block Grant will support long-term recovery efforts, with $200 million designated for the Better Future Individual Homeowner Program. The program assists residents whose homes were damaged by recent hurricanes and who earn 80% or less of the area median income. Limited funding is available for households earning up to 120% of the median income.

County officials said the funding addresses a critical need, as many families continue living in damaged homes more than a year after the storms. Some residents didn’t qualify for FEMA assistance or were not covered by earlier aid programs.

The application period is open, and the county will host an in-person intake event on January 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 15029 14th St. in Dade City to help residents complete applications.

“The biggest barrier to a program like this is people don’t finish their applications,” said Chuck Lane, Pasco County Director of Disaster Recovery Resources. “There is a lot of documentation required, and the application has 17 steps. But stay the course. Don’t give up.”

Additional programs are planned, including a disaster recovery program for small businesses launching in February and a $100 million housing initiative to build new homes and expand access to homeownership.

Residents needing assistance with applications can call (727) 228-4936. More information is available on the county’s Better Future program website.

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