Hillsborough County seeking input on spending $709M in hurricane recovery funds
The Brief
Hillsborough County has drafted a plan to spend $709 million in Community Development Block Grant funding.
It comes after recent hurricanes caused significant damage countywide.
A 30-day public comment period is underway, with meetings scheduled and an online survey available.
TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County officials are asking for input from residents on how more than $700 million in federal aid should be spent after a string of recent hurricanes.
By the numbers
The county says it expects to receive $709,324,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
That money will be used for recovery and mitigation efforts following Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene and Milton, all of which impacted the area within the past two years.
The county's draft plan shows that at least 70% of the funds will be designated for low-to-moderate income households.
More than half the total funding is earmarked for housing programs, including:
Home repair and replacement
New construction
Infrastructure upgrades (i.e., stormwater system and drainage improvement)
READ: Tampa prepares for the 2025 hurricane season using lessons from last year's back-to-back storms
What you can do
The county is hosting a series of public comment hearings and education meetings this month to gather input, all of which are scheduled from 6-8 p.m.
Public comment hearings:
June 10: Emanuel P. Johnson Recreation Center, 5855 S. 78th St., Tampa
June 12: Maureen Gauzza Library, 11211 Countryway Blvd., Tampa
June 13: Lennard High School, 2342 E. Shell Point Rd., Ruskin
June 18: Sayde Gibbs Martin Community Center, 302 S. Maryland Ave., Plant City
Education meetings:
June 9: Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave., Tampa
June 17: Roy Haynes Park Recreation Center, 1902 S. Village Ave., Tampa
June 23: Victor Crist Community Center, 14013 N. 22nd St., Tampa
Hillsborough County has also launched an online survey, which will remain up through July 7. You can take the survey by clicking here.
Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
The Source
This story was written with information from Hillsborough County Government.
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
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
Dog who ‘swam through a hurricane' struggled at NC shelter. Now, a fresh start
A resilient dog 'swam through a hurricane' — then struggled at a North Carolina shelter. Now, Tex the pup is getting a fresh start in a new home. 'We're over the moon,' Danielle Deschamps, communications coordinator for the Watauga Humane Society, told McClatchy News in a June 27 email. 'She's headed to a 30-acre fenced-in farm where she'll have four dog siblings, tons of space to explore, and most importantly, get to live inside again.' The 3-year-old dog was adopted after experiencing a rough patch. Tex was living with her previous owners when Hurricane Helene slammed parts of the Southeast in late September. 'When their home flooded, they swam to safety — pets included,' Deschamps wrote in a separate email. 'Before that, she loved water. Afterwards, she wouldn't go near it. It's like the storm stole something from her.' Tex's family had to move, and she kept escaping from the yard of their new home. 'Her family made the painful decision to surrender her, knowing they couldn't keep her safe anymore,' Deschamps wrote while Tex waited for another home. 'She was adopted once, but returned. Too much energy, they said. But the truth is, Tex isn't wild — she's just spirited, searching, and ready to live again.' For about two months, the 'gentle-hearted survivor' was in and out of the shelter in the mountain town of Boone, a roughly 85-mile drive west from Winston-Salem. The humane society hoped her next owner would help her find a sense of peace, according to the emails and a Facebook post. 'She trembles in her kennel, flinches at loud sounds,' Deschamps wrote. 'But outside, she softens. She runs with purpose. She leans into you. She still believes in people.' Then on June 27, the shelter shared the news of Tex's heartwarming adoption. 'It's truly a wonderful situation, and we're feeling incredibly hopeful that this is the perfect fit for her,' Deschamps wrote.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Fox News
Firefighter dies after vacation excursion with family at summer hot spot
A North Carolina community is mourning the loss of a firefighter who died while snorkeling on vacation in Turks and Caicos with his family. Jaywon Lyons died earlier this month on a snorkeling excursion on the island shortly after taking a photo, his girlfriend, Sonya Moore, told The Greenville Daily Reflector. "I rushed over and I literally couldn't even stand while they were doing CPR," Moore told the outlet. "I had my parents take my son and I just remained with him. We tried to get him stable. He was stable for a while." Authorities transported Lyons to a local hospital, and Moore tried to schedule an ICU flight back to the United States. "At the hospital, it just took a turn for the worse," Moore told the Reflector. Lyons deployed with the Little River Volunteer Fire Department to assist with relief efforts after Hurricane Helene and served at several other North Carolina fire departments over the course of his career, according to the Red Oak Community Rural Fire Department. "We are sorry to report the loss of our brother Red Oak Firefighter Jay Lyons today in a tragic accident while he was on vacation outside of the country," the Department said in a June 6 Facebook post. "Jay was well-liked here at Red Oak and he made a lasting impression on everyone." "He was an optimistic person who loved his family," the Red Oak Community FD said. Edgecombe County remembered Lyons as one of the county's first firefighters in a June 7 Facebook post. "As one of Edgecombe County's first firefighters, he served with courage, kindness, and a heart for others. His impact was felt far beyond our team, and all who knew him admired and loved him," the county said. A GoFundMe for the firefighter titled "Continued help for Jaywon's Family" says Lyons' body was returned to North Carolina on June 23. Lyons leaves behind two daughters, ages 3 and 1.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
Family didn't stop looking for dog missing since FL hurricane. Now, ‘happy tears'
A dog went missing during a Florida hurricane — and his family didn't stop searching for him. Now, eight months after the storm, Ghost the dog finally has been reunited with his owners. 'When Ghost saw his real family he was overjoyed,' Christina Sutherin, chief lifesaving officer for the Halifax Humane Society, told McClatchy News in a June 23 email. 'He was whining and barking excitedly while doing zoomies and wagging his entire body greeting them! Happy tears were shed.' The Daytona Beach shelter celebrated the long-awaited reunion after Ghost experienced a rough patch. His owners said he and their other dogs were stolen during Hurricane Milton, which slammed Florida in October. 'They filed a report with the police department and began the search for their dogs immediately,' Sutherin wrote. 'Their home was damaged, and they eventually moved out (of) state but never stopped looking.' Over time, the pup 'bounced from house to house and was even in and out of animal shelters.' He landed at the humane society when he was with someone who was arrested in an unrelated case, the shelter wrote in its email and a Facebook post. At the shelter, Ghost became known as a 'goofy, playful, treat loving' dog. One day, his luck took a turn for the better when his owners saw a post about him on the humane society's website. Sutherin said the family shared pictures of their lost pet, and 'there was no denying that Ghost was the same dog in the photos, right down to the spots on his nose!' After getting confirmation, the family drove 12 hours from West Virginia for the emotional reunion. 'Our team left the shelter Saturday feeling amazing knowing Ghost was sleeping in a hotel bed with his family that night,' Sutherin wrote. 'We were all so excited and teary eyed.' Before the family kicked off its next chapter together, the shelter said Ghost received a microchip. The devices store owners' contact information in case their pets become lost. Daytona Beach lies along the Atlantic coast, a roughly 55-mile drive northeast from Orlando.
