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Federal error correction brings $173 million to St. Petersburg
The funding will expand housing assistance for Hurricane Milton victims previously excluded from the city’s disaster recovery program.
A federal mapping error that left St. Petersburg without millions in Hurricane Milton recovery funding has been corrected, bringing an additional $173 million to the city two years after the storm.
Mayor Ken Welch, City Council Vice Chair Richie Floyd and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna announced the funding Friday, the second anniversary of Milton’s landfall.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had incorrectly allocated money intended for St. Petersburg to Pinellas County because of a geocoding error.
The correction directs $126 million toward housing assistance through Sunrise St. Pete, the city’s federally funded disaster recovery program. Another $47.6 million will support infrastructure and storm mitigation projects in partnership with Pinellas County.
The additional money also resolves an eligibility problem that excluded some residents from receiving assistance.
St. Petersburg’s original allocation of nearly $160 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding covered damage from Hurricanes Idalia and Helene. However, homeowners whose properties were damaged solely by Milton were ineligible for assistance under the initial grant.
City officials had encouraged those residents to apply while they worked to secure federal authorization to include Milton.
Applications previously denied because of the restriction will now be reconsidered, and those residents will not need to submit new applications, according to the city.
Sunrise St. Pete provides financial assistance for eligible home repairs, reconstruction and certain storm-related expenses. The program also includes assistance for qualifying renters and residents displaced by the hurricanes.
Milton battered St. Petersburg Oct. 9, 2024, producing wind gusts of up to 101 mph and rainfall totals reaching 20.4 inches.
The storm shredded the roof of Tropicana Field, toppled a construction crane into a downtown building and flooded neighborhoods throughout the city. Urban search-and-rescue teams subsequently assessed more than 43,000 structures.
Floyd, whose own home flooded during the hurricane, discussed the challenges of rebuilding during Friday’s announcement.
The federal correction follows efforts by city officials and members of Florida’s congressional delegation, including Luna and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, to address the allocation discrepancy.
The city has not announced when applications will reopen for residents who have not previously sought assistance.
