Nearly 2 years after Hurricane Ian, over 100 people in the state of Florida funded Reconstruction and Elevation program on Fort Myers Beach are still waiting to repair their homes. Nobody can explain to these homeowners what the delay is in getting the funds released.
According to Tidal Basin, the consultant company the town of Fort Myers Beach uses to help residents in the program, there are 59 people waiting in the reconstruction program and 47 in the elevation program. Tidal Basin has submitted all the proper documentation. $116 million is what’s been requested to help those 106 people. The deadline for people to apply for the program ended 13 months ago.
As these residents sit and wait for the Florida Department of Emergency Management to send the money local, the homeowners cannot do anything to repair their homes. They have not been able to do any work on those structures since the storm. If they did they put themselves at risk of being booted from the program or having money clawed back from them in the future if they were to get the grant.
An example of how this FDEM delay is impacting beach residents: Clayton Woodard. Clayton purchased a property on Tropical Shores Way (picture below) just a few months before the storm. When Hurricane Ian came through, 14 feet of water washed through his home. After the storm he spent $10,000 to gut the structure. A structural engineer OK’d the home as safe. He plans to elevate the house. He’s been told that will cost $300,000 and if the money comes through from FDEM, he’ll get 75% of that cost covered. He’s just sitting and waiting.
Another issue these homeowners now have to deal with is the town of Fort Myers Beach red-tag process. Building Official Joe Specht is making his way around the island inspecting structures to push residents to clean their yards, lots and structures as the town looks to move things along in the recovery process. If you are waiting in the state’s Reconstruction & Elevation program, it’s important that you communicate that to the town so they know why your structure is the way it is. The town may not know why your house is sitting untouched. As long as they know you are in the program the town will not take any action against you, according to the Mayor.
Several calls to FDEM to inquire when the money will be filtered down to homeowners Thursday went unreturned.
The best course of action right now is for the residents that are affected by this delay to speak up. Perhaps an option is for FDEM to issue the residents in the program a waiver that says the money is coming and it’s OK to move forward and start the work. Your contact is Marnie R. Villanueva, Director of Communications, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Marnie.Villanueva@em.myflorida.com
Allen, that would sure be wonderful!!!
When it is released I hope they also add in the interest they’ve been collecting
From what they told us last week any time in the next 2 weeks to 6 months…so we all sit and wait.
Thank you for the reporting! If these funds were released, combined with the stalled casualty loss cap removal there would be a wave of rebuilding on the island!