New storm recovery program is helping Florida residents raise homes, build back stronger after hurricanes
The Brief
The Elevate Florida program is the state's division of emergency management's new federally funded residential mitigation program.
It includes different resiliency projects, including raising homes.
Leaders in some hard-hit areas, like St. Pete Beach, hopes the program will help limit the number of people who are displaced after future storms.
TAMPA, Fla. - A new storm recovery program is trying to help homeowners build back stronger after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The Elevate Florida program is the Florida Division of Emergency Management's new, federally funded residential mitigation program. It's now accepting applications for funding for different resiliency projects, including raising homes.
READ: Asphalt shingles may not last as long as once thought. Here's what new research shows
By the numbers
Funding from a federal grant will cover at least 75% of the project's cost. The cost will include relocation expenses during construction. Property owners will be required to cover up to 25% of the total project cost.
The cost to raise a home varies, but it could cost several hundred thousand dollars. The FDEM said the total construction cost will be determined during the initial review period.
What to Know
In order to be eligible for the program, you must be a U.S. citizen who is 18 years or older. You also must be a legal residential property owner in Florida.
Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
The FDEM said multi-family properties like duplexes, triplexes, condos, townhomes, semi-detached homes, apartments and manufactured homes may be eligible. It said the property does not need to have experienced flooding or damage in the past to be considered.
However, the state said applications will be prioritized by the history of loss. Secondary residences may be eligible if there's enough funding.
Local perspective
Four months after Helene, homes in St. Pete are still under construction. Families across the Tampa Bay area have been displaced from their homes for months.
"Everything was gone," Jose Berrios, who lives in St. Pete, said. "We weren't really expecting it, because we've never flooded."
MORE: Gov. DeSantis supports President Trump's pledge to overhaul how FEMA operates
Berrios said they had 18 inches of water inside their home, which had never flooded before. He considers himself lucky though, because he hopes to move back into his home in about a week. He said the rebuild process has still been extremely difficult and time-consuming.
"We were surprised how much work it was," Berrios said. "We were surprised at just how much paperwork there is."
Some homeowners are filing even more paperwork now to apply for the Elevate Florida program.
Leaders in some hard-hit areas, like St. Pete Beach hopes the program will help limit the number of people who are displaced after future storms and help lower insurance premiums for homeowners.
"Any time you can elevate above the floodplain, reduce the impacts to your personal home and belongings, it benefits them, certainly benefits the community," St. Pete Beach's Interim Community Development Director Denise Sanderson said.
READ:Gulf Beaches Public Library reopens after hurricanes thanks to $150K donation for repairs
Dig deeper
The program funds structure elevation, mitigation reconstruction, acquisition and demolition and wind mitigation. The state also oversees the construction process and determines approved contractors for the projects.
The entire process could be extremely time-consuming, though. The FDEM said the process could take a year or two, from start to finish.
"It will be a lengthy process," Sanderson said. "And, for those that are displaced from home, the city of St. Pete Beach does offer minimal repair permits so that folks can safely reoccupy their home while awaiting the outcome of a process like this."
You can find more information about the Elevate Florida program and how to apply here.
The Source
The information in this story was gathered through interviews with residents and St. Pete Beach officials as well as information from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android
Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
Download the SkyTower Radar app
Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gov. Josh Stein signs six NC bills into law
RALEIGH, N.C.(WNCN) — Before heading into the weekend, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein put his support behind six bills. House Bill 506 creates the North Carolina Investment Authority, which is tasked with overseeing state investments, taking some responsibility away from the state treasurer. The authority would be responsible for managing investments for retirement systems and the General Fund. 'We're changing the degrees that we're headed by a slight amount, but it will have profound differences for our state over long periods of time,' said State Treasurer Brad Briner. 'If we can deliver 1% more, we will able we will be able to deliver $2 billion a year more to our state budget, and that is why we're doing this.' The governor also signed Senate Bill 231, which is designed to lower barriers for social workers to practice in or out of the state. North Carolina now joins an agreement with 29 other states allowing licensed social workers to practice in any state included in the agreement. Social workers say that Hurricane Helene showed the need for change after the storm displaced patients out of state. 'Licensed clinical social workers couldn't legally continue therapy with their clients unless they were licensed in each of those states, disrupting care at a time when it was most needed,' said Valerie Arendt, executive director for the National Association of Social Workers NC. 'The compact helps ensure continuity of care no matter where life takes rural residents.' House Bill 50, also signed by the governor, aims to retain some of the state's most experienced law enforcement officers. Before this new law, after 30 years of service, an officer had the choice to retire or stay on the job and lose out on retirement fund dollars. The new law gives officers more options to stay on the job. 'If we make it hard to retain our most experienced law enforcement officers, we're doing ourselves a grave disservice,' said Stein. 'If we want to keep the best, we have to support them, and that's exactly what this legislation does.' Most notably the governor did not sign or address three controversial bills on this desk. Two are related to cracking down on illegal immigration, and the third would allow concealed carry without a permit for adults over 18. Governor Stein also signed the following bills into law: House Bill 477: Retirement Death Benefits Rewrite Senate Bill 248: Birth Certificates for Persons Adopted Senate Bill 477: DNCR Agency Bill Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
As summer approaches, Asheville eager for return of visitors
Asheville is open in time for the summer after Hurricane Helene, and business owners will tell you they're eager to see the return of visitors. Cass Santander with Explore Asheville says they're looking at the number of people coming to visit the area, but one trend stood out. While the hotel demand in March was consistent with last year, the vacation rental occupancy rate was down about 6 points from 2024. Channel 9's Mark Taylor decided to visit one of the hardest-hit areas in Asheville, Biltmore Village, to check out how businesses are doing. Biltmore Village is part of Asheville's rich history. It was established in the late 1800s and sits right at the foot of the Biltmore House. Visitors can dine, go shopping, or even stay at a local hotel like the Grand Bohemian Lodge, which was hit by Helene's relentlessness. 'That was the devastation: feed of mud, debris, everything from signage and furniture,' said Grand Bohemian Lodge General Manager Matthew Lehman. 'We completely rebuilt the first floor, so everything from the handcrafted woodworking, all new electrical, plumbing work, rebuilding our bar, rebuilding our gallery.' The hotel is fully open but as we toured the area, we found some businesses were still boarded up. We saw crews making repairs after the severe rain and catastrophic flooding destroyed livelihoods. In the midst of it all were signs reminding folks that most of Asheville is open. But as Lehman explains, the community he's a part of is determined to bounce back harder than they were hit. "This little niche community is so special, and that's something we noticed after the storm. We really came together, a lot of recovery and support efforts; and as we come out of recovery towards new growth, we've got a lot of plans to further strengthen those ties and bonds," Lehman said. Santander says 75% of hospitality and tourism-facing businesses have reopened. 'There's a determination and a grit to come back better than ever, and it's an exciting time to come and visit,' Santander said. (VIDEO: Asheville artists find new home after Helene)
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Floridians know hurricane-proofing works. Let's make it affordable.
Florida faced hard hits from three hurricanes last year, with many communities still reeling from the destruction. It may feel like the last season just ended, but the 2025 Hurricane Season is here and is expected, once again, to bring 'above average' activity. It seems like after each weather catastrophe, stories emerge, along with accompanying aerial drone footage, showing hurricane-resistant homes that somehow survived Category 4 or 5 winds and life-threatening storm surge amidst an expanse of destruction and homes that were not as fortunate. In 2024, a community near Tampa Bay, known as Hunters Point, proved resilient during Hurricane Milton thanks to homes raised 16 feet off the ground and secured with steel straps. Babcock Ranch, a Southwest Florida community, made national headlines in 2022 after standing strong through Hurricane Ian, as the entirely solar-powered community's homes were built to withstand Category 5 winds. 🌀 2025 Hurricane Season Guide: Storm preparedness tips, supply list, evacuation zones It has become clear that hurricane-proofing your home works, but there's one big catch: the cost. Most families are struggling with rising costs and a general level of economic uncertainty, which is forcing us to decide what is really important when it comes to budgeting. A recent study found that millions of homeowners are being blocked from accessing their home equity, compounding this problem. High interest rates, rising debt and pandemic-driven job disruptions have made it harder for many U.S. homeowners to access home-equity loans or lines of credit, which are often used to obtain capital for home renovations and a means to finance hurricane hardening. Despite a recent job market rebound, nearly 4.6 million mortgage holders have seen credit declines tied to labor shifts, limiting access to over $730 billion in equity. And with the economy expected to slow amid a growing trade war, many may find their home equity harder to tap, despite a $18 trillion surge in housing wealth over the past five years. With construction costs also on the rise and an aging housing stock, how are homeowners supposed to protect their families and their properties through traditional financing measures? Instead, we must look to innovative policy tools focusing on home sustainability and resiliency. More: Florida must strengthen its electrical grid before it's too late | Opinion Programs like Elevate Florida, a state-run grant program, offer money for raising homes or hardening them with new roofs, windows and doors. However, due to overwhelming demand, the program has already exhausted its funding. In communities throughout Florida, including in Palm Bech County and across South Florida, programs like the Residential Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) remain available to homeowners. Property owners looking to avoid high interest rates or steep upfront costs of traditional loans can opt for PACE, which allows them to finance upgrades over time through their annual property tax bill. Qualification is based mainly on the home's available equity and the owner's ability to repay, not their credit score, making it more accessible than conventional financing. To date, Florida has avoided well over $3 billion in disaster losses because of PACE home resiliency upgrades, and the PACE industry has had more than a $7 billion economic impact statewide. More: $103 million in hurricane home-hardening grants up for grabs again. How to get one As the next hurricane season looms, protecting your home shouldn't be a luxury, it's a necessity. While financial pressures are real, delaying critical storm-resilience upgrades can cost far more in the long run. Programs like PACE offer a lifeline, making it possible to invest in your home's safety without the burden of high interest rates or inaccessible credit. Every storm season brings new threats, but with the right tools and a proactive mindset, we can strengthen our homes, safeguard our families, and build more resilient communities. Julio Fuentes is president and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He wrote this for The Palm Beach Post. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida weather damages homes. We need affordable protection | Opinion
