State of Florida Announces Program to Provide Materials to Repair Homes Damaged by Hurricane Ian

~ Impacted residents can apply for assistance with temporary and permanent home repairs through the State's Unite Florida Recovery Portal ~

Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) is announcing a new state program to provide verified nonprofit organizations with materials to restore a damaged home to a habitable condition, enabling residents to move back into their own homes. The Florida Disaster Fund will provide funds to verified nonprofit organizations to conduct the repair work, expediting the return of Hurricane Ian survivors to their communities and relieving the burden on other disaster housing programs. Additional details on the program will be available in the near future.

To apply for state-led housing recovery programs, residents can visit the Unite Florida Hurricane Ian Recovery Portal at IanRecovery.fl.gov/Unite.

"Our number one priority is to help Floridians recover as quickly as possible," said FDEM Director Guthrie. “At the Governor’s direction, the state created an efficient and responsible approach for Floridians to begin to rebuild their lives. We will continue to dedicate all available resources to make sure that impacted residents can return to their everyday lives.”

On Monday, November 21, Governor DeSantis announced the launch of the Unite Florida Hurricane Ian Recovery Portal. This portal utilizes state resources to connect Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian to important recovery resources, including housing support. Reported unmet needs, such as temporary and permanent housing repairs, can be filled through Unite Florida and funded by the Florida Disaster Fund.

On Friday, October 28, the State of Florida requested permission to utilize funding for verified volunteer work and purchasing of materials including, but not limited to tools for muck and gut, cleaning and sanitizing products, lumber and framing accessories, nails, screws and more. On Monday, November 7, the State provided additional details at the request of the federal government on this new temporary and permanent repairs program. The program is intended to help keep survivors in their homes and communities while making damaged homes safe and functional again.