St. Petersburg’s City Council has approved receipt of nearly $160 million in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support long-term recovery and resiliency efforts following Hurricanes Idalia and Helene. The city had already received about $13 million but has now appropriated the remaining funds.
Locally, the money will be distributed across several action plan programs, with Residential Recovery and Elevation ($35 million), Disaster Relief Reimbursement ($14 million) and Public Infrastructure and Mitigation ($25 million) set as top priorities.
Excitement and relief were evident at the Oct. 2 city council meeting, where officials had expressed concern that the federal government shutdown would delay the funding. However, HUD has a “continuity of operations” plan and “is not impacted by the government shutdown,” according to a city representative.
The city aims to fast-track the Residential Recovery and Elevation program by November. “We’re still speaking to a lot of residents who have, quite frankly, been turned down by every [other disaster relief program], and they are really looking to this program,” noted Councilmember Brandi Gabbard.
Gabbard emphasized that while the amount seems large, it will be spent quickly. The city is working to manage expectations before accepting applications, clarifying who will be eligible for assistance.
Under federal grant rules, at least 70 percent of the funds must benefit low- to moderate-income individuals and families. So far, 326 St. Petersburg residents have signed up to receive eligibility information, though approximately 12,000 households were affected by the storms, according to Councilmember Corey Givens.
City officials are using data and targeted outreach to refine program guidelines and better inform residents, focusing on the hardest-hit neighborhoods. While the city’s relief programs will launch in phases, the Residential Recovery and Elevation program remains on track to begin in November, pending final outreach and guideline approval.
Although HUD’s funding specifically covers recovery from Hurricanes Idalia and Helene, the city continues to advocate for additional relief following Hurricane Milton.