Lee commissioners prepares for receipt of funds to address unmet needs from Hurricanes Helene and Milton

Lee County has been allocated more than $100.6 million in Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This funding will provide critical resources to address unmet recovery needs from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, supporting essential recovery efforts with a focus on housing repair and public infrastructure restoration.

The funds will be managed and allocated in accordance with HUD’s established guidelines, which require the development of a comprehensive Action Plan. Lee County’s Department of Strategic Resources and Government Affairs (SRGA) oversaw development of the Action Plan, ensuring compliance with federal requirements.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday approved publication of the Draft Action Plan to initiate a 30-day period for soliciting public comment.

The Draft Action Plan will be available for public review beginning Feb.18 and continuing through March 20. Comments can be emailed to [email protected], mailed to Lee County Administration in care of the Office of Strategic Resources and Government Affairs, 2115 Second St., Fort Myers, FL, 33901.

Comments will also be heard during the public hearing that will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at Estero Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero, FL 33928.

After public input has been received, Lee County will submit the final Action Plan to HUD for review and approval.

The CDBG-DR webpage will continue to serve as an informational resource for CDBG-DR activities. Interested parties are encouraged to visit https://cdbgdr.leegov.com/ for updates. The county will continue to distribute information as it becomes available.

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26, 2024. Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Oct. 9, 2024. These consecutive storms brought significant storm surge, flooding and strong winds to Lee County.