Pinellas was awarded $813M in hurricane relief. Here's what to know.

Yahoo

08-04-2025

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Pinellas County more than $813 million for hurricane recovery — the largest amount given anywhere in the country during the latest round of funding, County Administrator Barry Burton said.
Pinellas County received this money to assist communities recovering from Hurricanes Idalia, Helene and Milton. Administering the funds from the county level helps expedite the distribution.
Similar to other federal awards, the county has steps it must take before it can distribute the money to residents. Here's what to know about the grant, when funds will be available and who qualifies.
Currently, the earliest residents could begin to receive money is this fall.
For the county to access this grant, it must create an action plan that will establish specific funding programs through which to distribute the money.
This action plan must have community input, so the county is holding public meetings this month — the first of which was Monday evening in Lealman.
During these meetings, county staff present their proposed plans, and residents can ask questions and provide feedback.
Once the county has a draft action plan, with public input and a study of the county's needs, there will be a 30-day public comment period during which the county commissioners will review the plan.
This summer, the Housing and Urban Development Department will have 45 days to review the county's plan, and if approved, will issue a grant agreement, and the initial program rollout can begin.
Even though money won't be available to residents until the fall, typically peak hurricane season, Burton said the planned distribution is 'record-time' for this kind of grant.
'We're trying to design programs that we can actually move out the door quickly,' Burton said. 'But we have to do it in compliance with the federal rules.'
This money falls under Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, and 70% of the funding is designated to support low- and moderate-income households and communities.
It must be spent on eligible initiatives, such as housing, infrastructure, public services and economic revitalization.
Right now, the county has found the highest unmet need among residents is housing, and 74% of the money is proposed to go toward housing assistance.
With this money, the county is planning multiple programs, from home repair reimbursement to disaster relief payments and economic recovery assistance for small businesses.
Once the action plan is complete, the county will determine an official application process.
These grants are available to all residents in unincorporated Pinellas and all cities except St. Petersburg, which has its own allocation of $159.8 million. Information on St. Petersburg can be found here.
The county is hosting two more public input meetings: The next is April 10 at 737 Louden Ave, Dunedin's City Hall Commission Chambers, from 6-8:00 p.m. The third and final meeting is April 24 in Palm Harbor at 1190 Georgia Ave., from 6-8:00 p.m.
On May 6, the Board of County Commissioners will review a draft action plan, and after that, will hold two virtual meetings on May 13 and 15 via Zoom. For more details, the county has a webpage for recovery information.
Residents can also fill out surveys in English and Spanish to share their thoughts.
Deborah Schechner, a St. Pete Beach resident, attended the county's meeting in Lealman Monday and said she wants more money for infrastructure, which is currently allotted 13%. After sewage and waste seeped into residents' homes last year, she said that's not enough.
'We've always had problems,' she said. 'We need money for the sewers.'
Iris Pruitt also attended Monday's meeting. Her primary residence is a double-wide mobile home on Gandy Boulevard, which she said was inundated with five feet of water last year.
Pruitt is retired and said every month her Social Security check is going toward her rent — so she's had to rely on food pantries for groceries.
And her daughter lives in Silver Lake Mobile Home Park in St. Petersburg. Her home was damaged during Milton, and Pruitt said her daughter is facing threats of eviction because she isn't fixing her home quickly enough.
Pruitt said she's hopeful for the program, but doesn't know what her life will look like when it begins.
'In six months, I don't know if we both won't be homeless,' she said.