• Florida Commerce announced the approval of its Action Plan for Hurricane Ian Recovery by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, overseeing $910 million in funding. 
• The plan prioritizes housing rehabilitation, with funds allocated for hazard mitigation infrastructure grants.
• Four counties (Lee, Orange, Sarasota, and Volusia) receiving direct federal allocations will submit separate action plans to HUD, with Lee County receiving the largest share of over $1.1 billion due to extensive infrastructure damage.

Florida Commerce, the state’s business advocacy agency, announced on Monday night that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved its Action Plan for Hurricane Ian Recovery that oversees the administration of $910 Million in recovery funding.

The plan largely prioritizes housing rehabilitation through the allocation of funds for hazard mitigation infrastructure grants to support affected communities. To compose the document, Florida Commerce conducted research and engaged in outreach, including 40 public meetings, to assess unmet needs following the landfall of Hurricane Ian.

“The impacts of Hurricane Ian are still being felt across Florida communities and this approval is another step towards restarting a sense of normalcy for impacted Floridians and their communities,” said FloridaCommerce Secretary, J. Alex Kelly. “We will continue to expedite disaster recovery assistance for Floridians, and we encourage impacted residents to submit a pre-assessment survey for the housing repair and replacement program.”

Florida’s submitted plan included a Rebuild Florida Hurricane Ian Housing Repair and Replacement Program (HRRP) Assessment, which serves as a preliminary step for homeowners seeking to apply for recovery funds and is designed to identify potential applicants and gauge the remaining needs of homeowners affected by the storm.

To address housing needs in Hurricane Ian-affected communities, the plan allocates more than 83 percent of available funds to three housing programs, including housing repair, reconstruction, and affordable workforce housing construction programs.  Per agency documents, special priority will be granted to households with children, seniors, and special needs.

The plan also designates nine percent of Florida’s allocation to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Match Program (HMGMP) to address infrastructure needs and enhance community resilience. This program will provide local matching funds for large-scale projects administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM).

In addition to the statewide plan, four counties – Lee, Orange, Sarasota, and Volusia – that received direct federal allocations, will submit their action plans to HUD for separate review. Lee County is set to receive more than $1.1 billion, the largest share, reflecting the high level of infrastructure damage it sustained.

Volusia County will receive more than $328 million for disaster recovery and mitigation efforts, Orange County will receive more than $219 million, and Sarasota County is set to receive more than $201 million.