St. Pete residents struggle to rebuild ahead of hurricane season as HUD funding plans take shape

HUD grant approved, housing programs proposed

Genevieve Curtis reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As hurricane season nears, many St. Petersburg residents are still picking up the pieces after Hurricanes Idalia and Helene. In flood-prone neighborhoods like Shore Acres and Riviera Bay, the rebuilding process remains a daily challenge.

Local perspective:

Tammy Marshall has been living in a camper outside her home for nine months, trying to restore what the storm damaged.

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"I just want to put my house back together," she said. "It feels like no one is on my side."

Marshall attended public meetings to weigh in on how the city should spend $180 million in federal HUD recovery funds. She's exhausted her savings and is now turning to the city for help.

But, Marshall doesn’t want to leave.

"I like my little paradise… If the city makes it so hard to rebuild, it doesn’t show appreciation," she said.

Big picture view:

St. Petersburg has earmarked $5 million to buy homes in high-risk flood zones. The buyouts would be voluntary, capped at $400,000, and the land must remain open space.

What they're saying:

Kevin Batdorf, the president of the Shore Acres Civic Association, said the buyout plan isn’t practical for his neighborhood, which was among the hardest hit.

"We’d have pockets of vacant lots. Who’s going to maintain that? The city?" he asked.

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Batdorf hopes more residents will qualify for the city’s $47 million fund to elevate and rehab homes, but he's worried the income restrictions tied to HUD funding will exclude many.

"This is a working-class neighborhood," he said. "I suspect most won’t qualify."

For both Marshall and Batdorf, fixing the root of the problem — the city’s storm and sewage infrastructure — is the top priority.

"Stop the flooding, and you stop making people homeless," Batdorf said. "2,200 families were instantly displaced."

Marshall agrees, and she said the city’s backed-up sewage plant caused the flooding in her home.

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"I voted that as my number one priority," she said.

What's next:

Residents can still provide input on how HUD funds should be spent. Feedback is being accepted online and at the upcoming City Council meeting on June 12.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Genevieve Curtis.

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