April 2020 Update
Rebuild Florida  is a program of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) created to support communities following disasters by addressing long-term recovery needs for housing, infrastructure and economic development.
REBUILD FLORIDA UPDATE
As Florida continues to adapt to the challenges created by COVID-19, we want to assure our participants and partners that we continue to push forward with our mission of helping Floridians recover and rebuild their lives following disasters, while making their safety our top priority. We have some big updates to share this month and you can read about a few of them below:

  • We have made an additional $100 million available to Hurricane Irma-impacted communities through the Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program.

  • HUD has approved the State Action Plan that DEO submitted for $633 million in Community Development Block Grant - Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funding.

  • We launched the Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program with $75 million in CDBG-MIT funding to allow local governments and state agencies to increase the resilience of critical facilities that serve a public safety purpose for local communities. 

  • After receiving comments from a variety of citizens and stakeholders, DEO has wrapped up the public comment period for the State Action Plan for Hurricane Michael and is currently reviewing the comments.

  • DEO has continued to make further progress with the Rebuild Florida Housing Repair and Replacement Program. More than 1,400 award letters have been issued to homeowners impacted by Hurricane Irma totaling over $42 million for repairs to their homes.

  • Rebuild Florida remains fully committed to assisting program participants with their applications or registration. However, for your safety and the safety of our employees, all Rebuild Florida Centers remain closed to the public. Homeowners can still contact the Rebuild Florida Customer Center at 844-833-1010 or their Rebuild Florida Specialist during this time.


As we continue to closely monitor COVID-19 and take measures to ensure the safety of our staff and participants, we will keep working hard to help Florida communities recover from past storms and become more resilient to future disasters. Stay tuned for more updates soon!


Sincerely,


The Rebuild Florida Team

IN THE NEWS
DEO Announces HUD Approving $633 Million in New Mitigation Funding
DEO announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved the state of Florida’s action plan for the $633 million in first-of-its-kind federal funding for disaster mitigation. DEO is prepared to launch new Rebuild Florida mitigation programs over the next few months. The funds are allocated through HUD’s newly created Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program formed in response to the 2016 to 2017 presidentially declared disasters.

Over the next few months, DEO will be launching the following Rebuild Florida mitigation programs designed to increase the resiliency of the state of Florida:



DEO Announces Launch of Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program
DEO announced $75 million is now available to local governments through the Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program . The Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program allows local governments and state agencies to increase the resilience of critical facilities that serve a public safety purpose for local communities.

Learn more

$100 Million of Additional Funds Available Through Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced $100 million of additional funds is now available to local governments in  communities impacted by Hurricane Irma   through the   Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program . The program, administered by DEO, helps communities fund infrastructure restoration and improvement projects in communities impacted by disasters.


PROGRAM UPDATES
Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program Webinar and Technical Assistance
To provide local governments and state agencies with more information about the Rebuild Florida Critical Facility Hardening Program, DEO hosted a webinar on April 22, 2020. The webinar can be viewed at the link below:
From April 24 to May 1, DEO will provide one-on-one technical assistance phone calls with interested applicants. Email your questions ahead of your scheduled call to   cdbg-mit@deo.myflorida.com . You can also reserve a time by visiting   picktime.com/cdbgmit . After May 1, applicants will have additional opportunities to receive further technical assistance from our mitigation team members.


Upcoming Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program Webinar
DEO will host a webinar on the Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program at 2:00 p.m. EST today, April 30 . The webinar will provide communities impacted by Hurricane Irma with an overview of the program guidelines, the application process and an opportunity for participants to ask questions about the program. Today's webinar will be recorded and posted along with the slides and transcript on the program page shortly after it is concluded.


Hurricane Irma Housing Repair & Replacement Program
"Rebuild Florida helped me with repairs from Hurricane Irma damage - I am grateful because I would not have been able to do it on my own." - Homeowner Clive Wright, whose home repair in Tamarac, Florida, was completed by Rebuild Florida.

The Rebuild Florida program has issued award letters to more than 1,400 Hurricane Irma-impacted homeowners and continues to accept registrations for the program.

Registration can be completed online at RebuildFlorida.gov or by phone by calling 844-833-1010.



Rebuild Florida Centers Remain Closed Due to COVID-19

In order to ensure the safety of Rebuild Florida Program participants, all Rebuild Florida Centers remain temporarily closed to the public to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Rebuild Florida is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees, Program participants and community members. Safety remains our top priority as we diligently monitor COVID-19. Our team of Rebuild Florida representatives will continue to work remotely and stand ready to assist. Program participants may continue to contact our Rebuild Florida Customer Center at 844-833-1010 or their Rebuild Florida Specialist during this time.

We will continue to update our partners and will post any status updates on the Rebuild Florida Centers page . Our team appreciates your understanding and looks forward to continuing to assist you on your road to recovery. For more information, please visit RebuildFlorida.gov.



Public Comment Period for Hurricane Michael Action Plan Closes
On March 11, 2020, DEO posted the draft of the State Action Plan for Hurricane Michael disaster recovery funding for a 30-day public comment period during which DEO received comments from citizens and stakeholders. The public comment period closed on April 10, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EST.


DISASTER RECOVERY RESOURCES
Stay in touch
  • View previous issues of this newsletter and sign up to receive program-specific updates here.


Hurricane Michael Recovery

Ways to Register for the Hurricane Irma Rebuild Florida Housing Program

  • Over the phone at 844.833.1010
Helpful Links:
www.RebuildFlorida.gov