Sarasota County releases plan for $201.5 million hurricane recovery grant. What to know.
Sarasota County is planning to spend a $201.5 million hurricane recovery grant on rehabilitating homes, building new affordable housing and improving South River Road, among other projects.
In March, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it would give out $3.3 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds to communities around the country, including $201.5 million to Sarasota County. The money will fund a new Sarasota County program called Resilient SRQ.
For the county to receive the grant, it had to assess the community’s unmet needs after Hurricane Ian struck last September. The results of the assessment and the county’s plans for how to spend the grant money are included in the county’s Draft Public Action Plan, which was released last Wednesday.
Members of the public have until Aug. 25 to submit feedback to Sarasota County on the draft. The plan could be revised based on public comments. It will then be reviewed by the County Commission in September and submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A summary of Sarasota County’s plans and estimated costs for different programs are provided below. Some of the projects are geared toward low-to-moderate income households, which earn up to 80% of Sarasota County’s area median income. For a family of four, 80% would be $73,100.
HOUSING PROGRAMS
Sarasota County plans to spend about $101.5 million on housing-related programs, which are listed below.
Voluntary housing buyouts
The county is considering a voluntary housing buyout and acquisition program for around $6.5 million. The county would buy properties affected by Hurricane Ian that are “at severe risk of repetitive flooding” and remove the homes, according to a summary of the draft plan. This would help families relocate to less flood-prone areas.
Homeowner reimbursement
Many people whose homes were damaged in Hurricane Ian were not made whole through their insurance, federal government assistance or other resources. This forced citizens to make repairs to their home through personal loans, savings accounts and credit cards. Sarasota County plans to spend $15 million on a homeowner reimbursement program for such expenses. The program will be available to low-to-moderate income households before it’s available to other households.
New affordable multifamily housing
Sarasota County plans to spend $40 million on the construction of new multifamily housing. Developers, public housing authorities, municipalities and other organizations will be able to will submit proposals for housing projects to the county.
Home rehabilitation and construction
The county is proposing to spend $40 million on a program that will rehabilitate and reconstruct owner-occupied single-family homes that were damaged by Hurricane Ian.
OTHER PROGRAMS
Public facilities and infrastructure
Sarasota County is allocating $25 million for the South River Road Evacuation Corridor project, to improve the road and reduce its risk for flooding. South River Road flooded during Hurricane Ian, forcing evacuees to backtrack in hazardous conditions or wait out the storm from their homes, according to the county.
The draft plan also includes $45 million for other public facility and infrastructure projects and disaster mitigation activities. Sarasota County, municipalities in the county and nonprofits will be able to apply for this funding.
Economic recovery
Sarasota County plans to spend $15 million on career training. The program will train local residents for skills that are in demand and related to hurricane recovery efforts, according to the summary report.
Administration
Sarasota County also plans to spend $15.1 million on the planning and administration of the Resilient SRQ program. Program staff said planning projects can include studies or plans that would help with building the long-term resiliency of Sarasota County. The "administration" portion of the money will be spent on the resources needed to administer the grant, including the hiring of temporary workers.
Previously: Sarasota County to get $201.5 million from federal gov as Hurricane Ian recovery continues
Other news: North Port Commission passes on affordable housing because of concerns over new state law
How to provide feedback
Public comments on the Draft Action Plan will be accepted through Aug. 25. You can provide feedback by filling out the comment form at scgov.net/ResilientSRQ, emailing comments to ResilientSRQComments@scgov.net or attending a public meeting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 9 at the Robert L. Anderson Administration Center. You can also mail comments to the county at Sarasota County Administration Center, Attn: Resilient SRQ, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34236.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County makes plans for $202 million in Ian recovery money
