St. Pete-Clearwater Sun

Hillsborough County homeowners still dealing with damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton have a new avenue for financial relief. The county launched a call center this week as part of its Rebuilding for Tomorrow program, which has set aside $211 million specifically for homeowner repair and reconstruction.

The funding comes from a $709 million Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery awarded to the county by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Eligible residents can receive up to $350,000 to replace or rebuild storm-damaged homes, up to $150,000 for repairs not covered by other programs, or between $10,000 and $50,000 in reimbursement for permitted repair work already completed.

To qualify, applicants must own and reside in the home—or have been temporarily displaced by the storms—and have their property taxes paid. The program is open to residents earning up to 120% of the area median income, with priority given to those at 80% or below. Eligible properties include homes anywhere in Hillsborough County, including Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City.

Applications open May 1. Residents can call the program hotline at (813) 540-7767, currently available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Starting in May, hours will expand to include evenings and Saturdays.

In addition to homeowner assistance, a portion of the grant will fund repairs to roads, canals, pump stations, wastewater infrastructure, and other storm-damaged public systems.

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