Latest news with #StateHousingInitiativesPartnershipProgram
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tampa leaders approve $3.2M in funding to help homeowners recover from hurricanes
The Brief Four months since Hurricane Milton destroyed lives across Tampa Bay, many residents are still trying to recover. The Tampa City Council approved $3.2 million in aid for homeowners still trying to rebuild their homes. Many city officials are saying more needs to be done. TAMPA, Fla. - It's been almost four months since Hurricane Milton destroyed lives across Tampa Bay. It came on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which devastated the region as a whole. Dig deeper On Thursday, the Tampa City Council unanimously approved a little more than $3.2 million in funding from the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program to help homeowners recover from the storms. "We have a lot of residents who are paying two rents," Abbye Feeley, the Development and Economic Opportunity administrator, said. "Or, they're paying their mortgage, and then they're paying to stay somewhere else. So, this will allow for mortgage assistance up to $5,000." The backstory The funding is aimed at helping homeowners with mortgage payments, home repairs, and insurance deductibles. "If you hired a contractor, you already paid for your repairs, you permitted them, you'll be able to get some reimbursement for that," Feeley said. The city says homeowners can apply for up to $5,000 in mortgage assistance, $20,000 in home repair assistance and $10,000 in insurance deductible reimbursement. It says each eligible household will be able to receive up to $20,000 in total. Although councilors unanimously approved the funding, they voiced frustrations about the need for more funding and an expedited process. "It's taken us 125 days to get here for $3 million," Councilor Luis Viera said. Viera has pushed for more hurricane recovery resources and funding, particularly for neighborhoods in North Tampa and the university area. Big picture view Many people are still displaced from their homes, and some cannot afford to rebuild and move back into their homes. "The people that I talked to, they're really going through hell, still," Viera said. The storm damage is spread throughout the city. After Hurricane Milton, neighborhoods around Port Tampa were also underwater. City leaders questioned how thin the funding could be spread. "It's not enough," Councilor Bill Carlson said. "It's barely going to touch anybody." Carlson also emphasized the need to rebuild stronger to help prevent this type of hurricane damage in the future. "We've got to put every dollar we can towards maintenance because even if we pay for people to renovate their homes, floods are going to come right back in and hit them," Carlson said. "We've got to fix the underlying problem." What's next City leaders hope this funding is a step toward rebuilding and recovery, which will take much longer. Councilor Lynn Hurtak also pressed city officials on how soon homeowners would be able to access the funding. "A timeline for how long it will take," Hurtak said. "This partner had to come up with a phone number for folks to reach out to, because the question I keep getting asked is, 'What's next?'" City officials say they're working to create a pre-application screening process for residents and a phone number people can call to get information about the funding. They also say they're working to designate a space where people can visit in person to get information or apply for funding. They hope to have information on the funding and how to apply for it by mid-March. City leaders recommend that people organize documents such as mortgage information, income statements, pay stubs, and receipts. The Source FOX 13's Kylie Jones collected the information in this story. 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
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tampa City Council approves $3.2M for homeowners affected by hurricanes
Video above: Could FEMA's 50% rule soon be waived? TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa homeowners affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton can receive assistance from the city for mortgage payments, home repairs and insurance deductibles. The Tampa City Council on Thursday unanimously approved $3.2 million in State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP) funds. 'As our residents rebuild, we have to remember some of them are still displaced, renting somewhere while trying to fix up a home they are still paying a mortgage on,' Development and Economic Opportunity Administrator Abbye Feeley said in a statement. 'We are hopeful that these funds will keep them afloat as they continue to move forward.' Homeowners can receive up to $5,000 in mortgage assistance, $20,000 in home repairs and $10,000 insurance deductible reimbursement. Each household is eligible for up to $20,000 in assistance. 'Anything we can do to ease the burden on our neighbors struggling to recover after these devastating storms, is an important step forward,' Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a statement. 'I appreciate the City Council's support for this initiative.' To qualify, residents must live in the Tampa city limits and meet certain income requirements. Funds will be distributed through an application process. More information on the application process will be released on a later date, according to a City of Tampa news release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
