Sunrise St. Pete disaster recovery action plan unveiled

In a public virtual hearing Tuesday, the City of St. Petersburg discussed its draft action plan for Sunrise St. Pete, a disaster recovery initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

$159.8 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds from HUD have been allocated to the City. 

The funds will be used towards recovery projects for those affected by Hurricanes Idalia (2023) and Helene (2024), to help specifically with housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization and mitigation. 

The programs will be easy to apply for. 

“We recognize that this has been very traumatic for many folks in our community, and that trauma is still an ongoing experience, and the last thing that residents need to be dealing with is a complicated application process,” Aubrey Phillips, Strategic Initiatives and Grants Director of the City of St. Petersburg, said in the virtual hearing. 

“Our intent is that this [initiative] will be launched with a single front door where residents come in and their needs are assessed.”

At least 70% of funds must directly benefit low-to moderate-income individuals and households, according to HUD guidelines. 

A 140-page document, the draft plan goes into detail about how the City will use these funds to provide disaster relief. 

Multiple programs were proposed including residential recovery and elevation, homebuyer assistance, affordable rental housing, disaster relief reimbursement, voluntary buyouts and acquisitions, non-profit community support services and post-disaster improvement and planning, among others. 

To determine what programs to develop, the St. Pete government partnered with professional services firm HORNE to identify unmet needs and funding priorities. Based on the data collected, a budget was created explaining how much of the funds would go towards each proposed program.   

For example, 70% of the overall budget was allocated to housing programs, as the City and HORNE determined that home recovery was a critical unmet need.  

The residential recovery and elevation program would offer financial assistance to individuals and families who meet certain qualifications such as an income 80% of the area median income or below. Recipients can receive up to $100,000 to renovate storm-damaged property and $375,000 for reconstruction or replacement. 

Those who are eligible for disaster relief reimbursement can receive up to $15,000 for six consecutive months to help pay for rent, mortgage and utilities. 

The proposed homebuyers assistance program offers up to $80,000 for down payments for city residents who are first time homebuyers with incomes 120% of the area median income, or below.  

For the voluntary buyouts and acquisitions program, the City will offer up to $400,000 to purchase storm damaged property. Each property acquired will later be demolished and reused. 

In an effort to encourage affordable rental housing, the City is proposing to give up to $125,000 to developers and current property owners per each affordable unit they create.

Sunrise St. Pete’s action plan also includes funding for nonprofit recovery services, which can receive a maximum of $1,250,000 in awards.  

A public infrastructure mitigation program will fund major infrastructure improvement projects in relation to the hurricanes.  

The City additionally has designed a post-disaster improvement and planning program that will focus on creating strategies for long-term rebuilding as well as improving future disaster response. 

Most of the programs are tentatively scheduled to start in 2026. 

“Our first priority is those residential rehab and reconstruction and the disaster assistance payments, we really want to keep primary focus on getting assistance to those that have been impacted,” Phillips explained.  

St. Pete residents are encouraged to read the draft action plan and provide input. Written comments can be submitted through June 23. 

Specific guidelines for each program, Phillips said,  are “still being determined.”

Resident feedback will be used in the final version of the action plan when it’s sent to HUD for review. Once the plan is approved by HUD, the City will receive a grant agreement and be able to introduce the programs.  

A city council public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 12 to discuss the action plan further. 

View the Sunrise St. Pete action plan, and submit comments, at this link.