Help is still available for homeowners struggling to fix-up property damaged by Hurricane Irma last year, through the Rebuild Florida program.
Tiffany Vause with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said the state plans to spend $ 700 million it received from the federal government on repairing, rebuilding and replacing storm-damaged houses.
To qualify for assistance, people have to register first.
“And then we will go through the application process where we verify they own their home. We come out and we look at their damage. And then the state of Florida will coordinate the repairs so families don’t have to pay out of pocket and then get reimbursed. The state of Florida will handle all of the contracting process for them,” said Vause.
The highest priority will be given families with children, the elderly and the disabled followed by low-to-moderate income households. People who came to Florida as the result of Hurricane Maria are also eligible.
There are a number of ways people can register, starting online with RebuildFlorida.gov.
“We have the buses going across the state and helping families register for the program and then we also have some static centers and then we have our call center that’s open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday,” Vause said. More information is available by calling 844-833-1010.
The deadline to register is March 29, 2019; which was extended from an earlier deadline of December 23.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
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