21-02-2025
University Area still mired in long recovery from Hurricane Milton
Four months after Hurricane Milton flooded the University Area, some locals have been displaced, others remain in mold-ridden apartments and most still lack basic necessities as recovery efforts drag on.
Why it matters: For many in Hillsborough, the crisis ended when the skies cleared — but in the University Area, it's far from over.
Catch up quick: University Area, a neighborhood named for its closeness to the University of South Florida, is designated as flood zone X. That means it faces a 1-in-500 chance of flooding each year.
Milton defied those odds. Floodwaters overtook Fowler Avenue, which Mayor Jane Castor dubbed " Lake Fowler."
Hundreds of properties sustained damage, leaving residents — 89% of whom rent — dependent on landlords for repairs. Some owners have deemed the losses too great to fix.
The big picture: Before the crisis, affordable housing was already scarce, but now, per the nonprofit University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC), it is almost nonexistent.
Floodwaters and wind gusts caused extensive damage to homes, tree branches pierced roofs and mold spores developed after severe water damage.
Many residents had no choice but to leave. "We lost at least 15% of our community," says Sarah Combs, CEO of UACDC. "And we think that number is only going to rise."
Between the lines: The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners has, for years now, axed funds and programs designed to encourage affordable housing development.
Last year, the board cut a program that, for three decades, made building affordable houses cheaper. Experts told Axios then that doing so would result in fewer homes for those in need.
And after Milton, the board relied on an affordable housing fund it has repeatedly gutted to help those the storm displaced.
State of play: The UACDC cleared debris and restored landscaping at eight properties and three homes in Milton's aftermath, in addition to serving over 10,000 individuals hot meals.
Hillsborough County and Tampa launched an investigation into what caused the historic floods. The city also approved $3.2 million to provide grants of up to $20,000 for households affected by Milton.
The UACDC, Hillsborough County and USF secured a nearly $15 million federal grant to, in part, improve stormwater systems in the University Area to reduce flooding.
The bottom line: "It's taken a long time for us to recover," says Combs of the UACDC. "We're still not out of it yet."
