TAMPA, Fla. — The laundry list of repairs Kathy Kaestner has had to do to her home feels never-ending.
"We had to rip out all the floors, all the drywall four feet and under, the cabinets,” said Kaestner. “I lost all my appliances."
We've shared her story before on ABC Action News. She lives in the Forest Hills neighborhood and had flood damage after Hurricane Milton.
"It was pretty bad because it was like 19 inches inside my house,” said Kaestner. “So pretty much lost most everything that was at least two feet and below."
Now, the City of Tampa is getting ready to launch a new program to help people like her who were affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The city has $3.2 million to distribute to primary homesteaded and income-eligible residents.
“We are very excited to announce today that we are providing $3.2 million. This funding is coming from the state, and it’s a part of a funding stream that we get for affordable housing,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “So we’re redirecting this towards assistance for those individuals that have incurred damage to their homes because of Helene and/or Milton.”
They're offering three types of hurricane disaster relief for homeowners:
- Insurance deductible assistance, up to $10,000
- Mortgage assistance, up to $5,000
- Cost of repair assistance, up to $20,000
To qualify, people need to be homeowners within Tampa city limits and earn up to 140 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), which the city estimates at about $133,700 for a family of four.
People may apply for some or all of the three types of assistance, but the maximum reimbursement per household is $20,000.
"While it is $3.2 million, it's not going to solve all of the needs of our community, and for that, we apologize,” said Mayor Castor. “We are doing everything that we can to help those individuals, families, businesses that have been devastated by these two events to get back up on their feet."
You'll want to double check the documentation that's required for each category of assistance.
Pre-applications will be available online starting Monday, March 24. For more information about the program, click here.
“We’re ready for our visitors.”
Spring break season is back across Tampa Bay, and businesses are relying on spring break now more than ever.
