Volusia County has been approved for a substantial federal grant of nearly $329 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to aid in the recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian.
The funding, part of the Transform386 project supported by Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds, was confirmed during a County Council meeting on December 5. County Manager George Recktenwald announced that the approval marks the readiness to initiate community funding after finalizing paperwork and conducting an environmental assessment.
The primary focus of the recovery plan is addressing housing needs, particularly for households with low to moderate incomes. The budget breakdown includes $200 million allocated to housing, covering $145 million for single-family home repairs and replacement, $50 million for new multi-family construction, and $5 million for rental repairs. Additionally, $50 million is designated for infrastructure, over $42.9 million for mitigation to enhance the county’s resilience against future storms, and more than $16.4 million for administration, with plans to employ approximately 30 individuals to manage the program.
Further budget allocations include over $18.5 million for planning, encompassing aspects such as housing, stormwater, wetland management, and environmental assessments, and $1 million for public services aimed at training individuals in construction trades. Council approval of the plan in October faced a 5-2 vote, with concerns raised by Councilmen Don Dempsey and Danny Robins regarding the distribution of funds. Dempsey advocated for increased infrastructure funding to address flooding issues and a more equitable distribution of repair funds among homeowners.
The Transform386 plan anticipates benefiting 1,150 housing units through single-family housing repair and replacement efforts, with maximum awards of $100,000 for home repairs, $275,000 for replacement, and $200,000 for mobile home replacement. Applications for the Hurricane Ian Homeowner Recovery program, part of Transform386, have already been accepted since November 14, with over 800 applications received by December 22. The county continues to welcome applications for those seeking assistance with Hurricane Ian-related repairs or reimbursements.
Thank you to Sheldon Gardner with the Daytona Beach News-Journal for this info.