Pasco County has expanded income eligibility for its hurricane relief program, opening the door to thousands more homeowners still recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The Better Future Individual Homeowner Program, which launched in January, provides $200 million in federal block grant funding to help residents repair and strengthen their homes. When the program began, only households earning up to 80% of the Area Median Income were eligible. County officials have since raised that threshold to 120% of AMI — meaning a family of four earning up to $125,000 per year may now qualify.

Despite the expanded eligibility, priority will still go to the most vulnerable applicants, including residents still displaced by storm damage, families with young children, seniors 62 and older, and households with a member who has a disability.

About 1,300 applications have been started so far, but just over 600 have been completed. County officials estimate roughly 2,000 total applications would exhaust the available funding.

“We want to encourage people to apply because if the money runs out, there won’t be any behind it,” said Chuck Lane, Director of Pasco County’s Disaster Recovery Resources.

Officials cite the application’s complexity as a barrier to completion. The 17-page form requires documentation, including verified household income, a list of residents in the home, and evidence of storm damage such as photos or receipts.

The program has no set expiration date but will end once funding is depleted. Residents are encouraged to apply at pascocountyfl.gov/government/better_future.php.

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