New aid is available for Tampa homeowners affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton. The City of Tampa has a total of $3.2 million to distribute to primary homesteaded and income eligible residents.
Starting Monday, March 24th, pre-applications will be available online.
Utilizing State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Funds, the city is offering three types of Hurricane Disaster Relief for homeowners. The three categories of assistance include Insurance Deductible Assistance (up to $10,000), Mortgage Assistance (up to $5,000) and Cost of Repair Assistance (up to $20,000). Residents may apply for some -- or all of the three types of assistance -- but the maximum reimbursement per household is $20,000.
Homeowners are encouraged to prepare the necessary documentation ahead of the application process.
"Rebuilding has been front and center of my agenda since our city was hit by these back to back storms last year," said Mayor Jane Castor. "This has the potential to affect hundreds of families as they get back on their feet and prepare for our next hurricane season.
To qualify, residents must be homeowners within the City of Tampa's city limits and earn up to 140 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI)—estimated at about $133,700 for a family of four.
"Homeowners hit hard by hurricanes have been painfully rebuilding their lives and their homes for months on end," said Tampa Councilman Luis Viera, who represents northern Tampa and New Tampa. "It is our hope that this recovery assistance can help these struggling residents in the journey to get settled into their homes and find some sense of normalcy."
The type of documentation applicants need will be dependent on the program for which residents apply, but they will need documentation of income and a government-issued photo identification for all adult members of their household.
Documentation Required for Each Category of Assistance:¶
Insurance Deductible Assistance¶
- Applicants will be required to provide proof of FEMA application for Hurricane Helene or Milton and the results, insurance claim payouts, and payments to contractors.
- Government-issued photo identification for all members of the household
Mortgage Assistance¶
- Applicants must provide a recent mortgage statement, proof of home displacement or lost wages, and that the mortgage payment has become delinquent since the hurricane (at least 31 days past due). Mortgages that were delinquent prior to the hurricane are not eligible.
- Government-issued photo identification for all members of the household
Cost of Repair Assistance¶
- Applicants will be required to provide receipts and/or invoices showing their payments.
- The homeowner will be required to show proof that they filed an insurance claim (if they had insurance) and any payments received from the insurance claim.
- Government-issued photo identification for all members of the household