Pinellas hurricane rebuild breaks ground

Nearly two years after hurricanes Helene and Milton inundated neighborhoods across Pinellas County, the first storm-damaged homes have entered reconstruction under the county’s disaster recovery program.

The work is being carried out through the People First Home Rehabilitation and Reconstruction program, a federally funded initiative offering up to $375,000 for eligible homeowners to repair or rebuild primary residences damaged in the 2023 and ’24 hurricanes, according to Pinellas County program materials.

The program is funded through an $813 million Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, designed to address unmet housing and infrastructure needs following major disasters.

County officials describe the start of reconstruction as a milestone in a process that has been largely administrative for the past year, as staff worked through eligibility reviews, damage assessments, environmental requirements and federal compliance steps required before construction could begin.

While applications opened roughly a year after Hurricane Milton, officials say the first homes are only now moving into active repair or rebuilding stages, a pace they note is typical of federally funded disaster recovery programs, which often require extensive setup before physical work can begin.

Even at this early stage, demand significantly exceeds capacity. More than 7,000 households have applied across the People First programs, including more than 2,000 applications specifically for home rehabilitation or reconstruction assistance, according to county data.

The scope of requested assistance ranges widely, from minor storm-related repairs to full demolition and reconstruction of homes deemed substantially damaged. County officials say dozens of additional projects are expected to begin construction in the coming weeks as more applications clear review and move through final approvals.

The People First program is one component of the broader Pinellas Recovers initiative, which also includes assistance for renters, landlords and households seeking relocation support. The program is available countywide, except in the City of St. Petersburg, which received its own separate allocation of federal disaster recovery funding.

Officials say the early construction phase represents the beginning of what will be a multi-year rebuilding effort.