Hillsborough County opens new pop-up disaster relief centers to help Hurricane Helene, Milton victims rebuild

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County is expanding its disaster relief operations next week by opening two new pop-up centers to help low-to-moderate-income families secure federal funding to rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Hillsborough County relief

What we know:

Nearly two years after Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the Tampa Bay region, $211 million in federal money is available to help local homeowners recover. 

The funding, which comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of Hillsborough County’s Rebuilding for Tomorrow Homeowner Repair and Reconstruction Program, is dedicated specifically to making communities whole again by covering the costs of lingering home repairs or reimbursing people who have already paid for fixes out of pocket. 

The program is specifically for low-to-moderate-income households, and about 1,000 local homeowners applied for the program during its first month, according to Angela Lawson, the project manager for housing programs under Rebuilding for Tomorrow. 

Getting help

What you can do:

Starting next week on June 8 and 9, case managers will expand their outreach by opening temporary service sites on Mondays and Tuesdays to guide applicants through the paperwork process.

The Wimauma pop-up center will operate every Monday during June at the Wimauma Community Health Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The Plant City site will open every Tuesday this month at the Plant City Community Resource Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Homeowners can also visit the existing Rebuilding for Tomorrow service center on Hillsborough Avenue. 

To apply for assistance, residents must bring specific documentation, including a birth certificate and legal proof that they owned their home when the hurricanes struck. 

Case manager Malcolm Randolph noted that many people call with anxiety about sharing personal data, but he reassures them that the program is an official, secure government initiative and not a scam.

Neighbors needing help

What they're saying:

West Tampa resident Faye Fulks said she is an elderly homeowner who works but still needs assistance to fix the lingering destruction.  

"It took the front screen door off and the window on the side of the house," Fulks said. "It has cracks. It started raining inside. The rain started coming inside the house."

Fulks visited the relief center on Hillsborough Avenue on Friday to get help stopping the leaks. 

"Water comes in, but I got something in the window to try to block it," Fulks said. "So, it needs repairing. I'm just glad that they're here for us."

Storm damage hardship

Dig deeper:

Disaster managers see this type of structural ruin across the region daily. 

"Sometimes I've met people who have mold in their homes. They do not have an adequate roof," Lawson said. "[I’ve] met people without a functioning kitchen still, without a functioning bathroom still."

Lawson explained that insurance frequently fails to cover the entire cost of storm recovery, leaving families stuck in damaged homes. 

"They feel a sense of relief that repairs and hope are potentially around the corner," Lawson said. "And we're really excited to be able to help people."

Unanswered Questions

What we don't know:

Officials have not yet confirmed how long it will take for applications to be approved or when the funds will be disbursed to homeowners. 

It remains unclear exactly how many more families will qualify before the funding is fully exhausted.

Hillsborough CountyHurricane HeleneHurricane Milton