Nearly two years after Hurricanes Helene and Milton battered the Tampa Bay region, Hillsborough County is expanding access to a $211 million federal repair program by launching two new pop-up assistance centers beginning Tuesday.
The centers are part of the county’s Rebuilding for Tomorrow Homeowner Repair and Reconstruction Program, funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program covers the cost of outstanding home repairs or reimburses low- to moderate-income homeowners who have already paid for repairs out of pocket.
Starting this week, case managers will staff temporary service sites on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout June. The Wimauma location will operate every Monday at the Wimauma Community Health Center, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Plant City site will be open every Tuesday at the Plant City Community Resource Center during the same hours. Homeowners can also visit the existing service center on Hillsborough Avenue.
Program manager Angela Lawson said the need remains acute across the county. “Sometimes I’ve met people who have mold in their homes. They do not have an adequate roof,” Lawson said, adding that she has encountered families still without functioning kitchens or bathrooms.
To apply, residents must bring documentation, including a birth certificate and proof that they owned their home when the storms struck. Case manager Malcolm Randolph said he regularly reassures anxious callers that the program is a legitimate government initiative, not a scam.
More than 1,000 homeowners applied during the program’s first month. Officials have not confirmed how long approvals will take or when funds will begin reaching recipients.
For more information, visit rebuildingfortomorrow.hcfl.gov.
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