Thonotosassa mother gets Hillsborough's first fully funded home rebuild through hurricane recovery initiative
First homeowner approved for full disaster rebuild
A Hillsborough County mother is finally getting a new home two years after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.
THONOTOSASSA, Fla. - A Hillsborough County mother of two is receiving a fully funded home rebuild following damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
The Rebuilding for Tomorrow initiative is funded through a $709.3 million federal grant for Hillsborough County.
Most of the disaster recovery funding is earmarked for housing.
A Thonotosassa mother is the first homeowner in Hillsborough County to be approved for a home rebuild through a hurricane recovery initiative, following back-to-back damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Thonotosassa home rebuild
What we know:
Kristina Stamm, who lives with her two teenagers in Thonotosassa, applied in May for the "Rebuilding for Tomorrow Initiative" after both storms destroyed her home two years ago.
Stammsays Hurricane Helene ripped off exterior siding, damaged the roof and caused leaks inside their home.
"Then, the second hurricane comes right behind it, was kind of just the icing on the cake to cause ongoing damage because it's not just the damage from the hurricane," Stamm said. "Not fixing, being able to fix the roof right away causes leaks, which causes more problems. Siding on the outside of a mobile home is very important. How the siding is up on the house is important too. If you don't have a backing to it, water still gets in. So just taking and putting a band-aid on it kind of caused more issues."
Lawmakers in Hillsborough County secured $709.3 million in federal funding through a $100 billion disaster response package passed at the end of 2024.
The Rebuilding for Tomorrow program can help cover partial or full rebuild costs for eligible homeowners in Hillsborough County
Federal disaster funding
What we don't know:
Officials have not publicly disclosed how many additional applicants will be approved for the program.
Program eligibility rules
By the numbers:
Applicants must meet specific requirements to qualify for the program:
- Primary residence must be in Hillsborough County.
- Must own a single-family home.
- Property cannot be located within a regulatory floodway.
- Household income cannot exceed 120% of the area median income. Households with an income up to 80% of the area median income will receive priority.
Getting program help
What you can do:
You can find information about the program and eligibility here.
Officials say the program is open and accepting applications.
You can also call 813-540-7767 or visit 1029 E. Hillsborough Ave. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from information provided by Rep. Kathy Castor and an interview conducted with homeowner Kristina Stamm.