HUD Awards Volusia County more than $133 Million for Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Following Hurricane Milton

Posted On: January 9, 2025

Volusia County has been awarded $133,515,000 in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This funding will support the community's recovery from Hurricane Milton by focusing on disaster relief, long-term recovery, and the restoration of infrastructure and housing. It also aims to promote economic revitalization and implement disaster mitigation measures in the most impacted and distressed areas.

The CDBG-DR funds can be used to replace damaged affordable housing with more resilient structures, strengthen infrastructure through repairs and upgrades, support economic revitalization by aiding small businesses and creating jobs, and implement measures to reduce the risk of damage from future weather-related disasters.

"We are immensely grateful for this crucial support following Hurricane Milton, particularly because previous CDBG-DR funds were allocated only for Hurricane Ian's aftermath," said Transform386 Director Dona Butler. "These funds will not only help those affected individuals but are also designed to reinforce our community's overall infrastructure and implement mitigation strategies to reduce future risks."

Volusia County will administer the funds through its Transform386 initiative, which currently manages the $328.9 million in CDBG-DR funds for Hurricane Ian. Developing an Action Plan for the Hurricane Milton-related funds will follow a similar process as those with Hurricane Ian, including public informational meetings across the county, an unmet needs survey, and a public hearing before the plan is presented to the Volusia County Council before formal submission to HUD.

Further announcements regarding the scheduling of meetings and the availability of the survey will be made soon.