Homeowners who paid out of pocket to fix storm damage from Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton could get that money back under a proposed expansion of Manatee County's disaster recovery program.
The county published a Draft Substantial Amendment to its Lasting Manatee action plan on Friday, July 31, opening a 30-day public comment period that runs through Saturday, August 29. The amendment would add homeowner reimbursement as an eligible activity under the Home Recovery Program for the first time, according to a county announcement reported by the Bradenton Times.
Until now, the program covered repairs, reconstruction, elevation, and replacement of storm-damaged homes with unmet needs after insurance and FEMA payouts. The proposed change targets residents who already shouldered those costs themselves.
Manatee County received $252.7 million in HUD disaster-recovery funding after the 2024 hurricane season, according to the county's CDBG-DR page. That money funds the Lasting Manatee program, which is administered by Manatee County Community and Veterans Services.
How the idea took shape
District 2 Commissioner Amanda Ballard raised the reimbursement concept at the April 21 Board of County Commissioners meeting.
"Many residents have made those repairs on their own because they felt that they had to," Ballard said at that meeting. "The idea to start with the still-needed repairs is a great way to go, I just want to make sure we have the ability to pivot as we need to."
Two public hearings scheduled
Residents can weigh in at two in-person hearings:
- Thursday, August 20, 6 p.m. — Palmetto Branch Library, 923 6th Street West, Palmetto
- Wednesday, August 26, 6 p.m. — South Manatee Branch Library, 6081 26th Street West, Bradenton
Both locations are accessible to people with disabilities. Residents needing accommodations should contact ADA Compliance Coordinator Carmine DeMilio at (941) 748-4501, ext. 6016, at least three business days before the hearing.
Comments can also be submitted online at www.lastingmanatee.org/pages/reimbursement, by email, phone, or mail through August 29.
A hard copy of the draft amendment will be available at any full-service Manatee County library starting Monday, August 10.
What Lakewood Ranch residents should know
The Lasting Manatee program covers Manatee County residents with storm-related housing damage. Lakewood Ranch homeowners on the Manatee County side who spent their own money on hurricane repairs may be eligible, though the county has not published specific income or damage thresholds tied to the reimbursement expansion.
Odugo Ohizu, communication coordinator for Lasting Manatee, said in the county's announcement that officials are working to make information accessible, including placing hard copies of the amendment at libraries countywide.
The Lasting Manatee Intake Center at 1012 Manatee Ave. West in Bradenton, which opened June 1, offers in-person help for homeowners navigating the application process. The center can be reached at (941) 742-4787.
The comment period closes August 29.
