Lee Commissioners award more than $229 million in Disaster Recovery grants

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to award more than $229 million in grants for about 20 public facility and infrastructure projects funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery allocation to Lee County. The projects will be undertaken by Lee County, each municipality, the…

Read More

Hurricane Housing Recovery Program expands grants to residents

Residents may now apply for homeowners’ and/or flood Insurance, mortgage assistance, and rent assistance, up to $25,000 in grant funding. Collier County is expanding efforts to assist residents recovering from the storm impacts and flooding related to Hurricane Ian (September 28, 2022), Invest 90L (June 11, 2024), and Tropical Storm/Hurricane Debby (August 4, 2024). Grants…

Read More

LeeCares Hurricane Ian Housing Recovery Program application deadline May 15

The online application portal and submission of new applications online or in-person for the LeeCares Hurricane Ian Housing Recovery Program will conclude at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 15. Lee County currently is processing more than 1,300 applications requesting assistance for repairing, reconstructing, elevating or purchasing a home. Lee County and its partners directly contacted more…

Read More

FloridaCommerce announces $910 million available to support Floridians recovering from Ian

FloridaCommerce announced more than $910 million in funding is available through four Rebuild Florida programs. Rebuild Florida programs connect eligible Floridians with disaster recovery funding and prioritize the most-impacted communities and the most vulnerable low-income individuals, including the elderly, those with disabilities and families with young children. These programs will help return Hurricane-Ian impacted Floridians…

Read More

R.T. Rybak brings Minneapolis Foundation perspective, expertise to Islands’ renewal

The desire to restore Sanibel and Captiva islands to their former splendor remains strong some 18 months into recovery from devastating Hurricane Ian. Realizing that a fresh perspective can inject energy and possibilities into the process, the Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI), led by CFI’s Economic Revitalization Committee, recently welcomed R.T. Rybak and his…

Read More

SanCap Chamber ribbon-cutting marks reopening of shell museum phase one

Only 2-1/2 years after debuting its Living Gallery of Aquariums in March 2020, the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium lost about 80 percent of its marine life and everything but the ground level’s 11 structural aquarium tanks to Hurricane Ian. On March 4, along with the SanCap Chamber, it celebrated the complete restoration of…

Read More

FEMA Extends Direct Housing Program for Hurricane Ian

LAKE MARY, Fla. – FEMA has announced a six-month extension of the Direct Temporary Housing program through Sept. 29, 2024, for eligible households in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Lee, Manatee, Sarasota and Volusia counties. Since Hurricane Ian, FEMA has provided temporary housing units for over 1,300 displaced families in the state. Working with the Florida Division…

Read More