Unmet Hurricane Ian Needs Focus Of State Workshops For Residents

FLORIDA — The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will host a series of workshops to hear from Floridians about their unmet disaster recovery needs following Hurricane Ian.

DEO staff will also provide an overview of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program and the upcoming State of Florida Action Plan that will detail how this funding will address unmet recovery and mitigation needs.

Impacted Floridians will have an opportunity to provide their input.

These workshops follow listening sessions that the DEO facilitated in the 24 counties impacted by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in April and May. Through the county listening sessions, DEO leaders gained insight into long-term recovery needs in counties impacted by 2022 hurricanes, such as workforce affordable housing, infrastructure repair and housing repair and replacement.

Meetings include:

• Wednesday, June 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Manatee County Administration Building, 1112 Manatee Ave., West Bradenton.
• Thursday, June 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pinellas Communications Building's Palm Room, 333 Chestnut St., Clearwater.
• Thursday, June 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Polk State College, Winter Haven Room, 126999 Ave. H, Winter Haven.
• Monday, July 10, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Collier County South Regional Library, 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway, Naples.
• Tuesday, July 11, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Highlands County Administration Building, 600 S. Commerce Ave., Sebring.
• Wednesday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center, 75 Taylor St., Punta Gorda.

On March 15, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that the state of Florida will receive more than $910 million in CDBG disaster relief funding to support long-term resiliency and mitigation efforts following Hurricane Ian in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Seminole and St. Johns counties.

DEO will lead the state’s efforts in developing the State Action Plan that will provide a high-level strategy for how funding will be used to address unmet, long-term recovery needs in the eligible Hurricane Ian-impacted communities.

HUD identified Lee, Orange, Sarasota and Volusia counties to receive direct funding allocations separate from the amount allocated to the state of Florida.

Lee County will receive more than $1.1 billion. Orange County will receive more than $219 million. Sarasota County will receive more than $201 million. And Volusia County will receive more than $328 million for disaster recovery and mitigation efforts.

These four counties will be responsible for designing their own programs to address their communities' unmet needs, as well as administering any funds to run those programs.

For more information, email CDBG-DR@DEO.MyFlorida.com.