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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded Manatee County, Florida, $252.7 million to support long-term recovery efforts from Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. This is the largest grant allocation the county has ever received.
The region received some immediate repair and rehabilitation funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration, but this latest grant is intended to address many of the county’s unmet needs. Despite the substantial funding, officials received more than 140 project submissions totaling over $1.2 billion in requests, highlighting a gap between funding and the region’s ongoing recovery efforts.
Dubbed “Lasting Manatee,” the county’s plan for the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program includes several components. Of the federal grant funding, about $130 million is designated for infrastructure improvements such as stormwater drainage upgrades, flood control enhancements, utility hardening and retrofits for public facilities. An additional $33 million is set aside for future mitigation projects, which meets HUD’s requirement that 15% of the grant be used to reduce the impact of future disasters.
Housing is another major focus of the Lasting Manatee initiative. An additional $75.6 million is set aside to help homeowners with storm-related repairs, $20 million will assist rental property owners with rehabilitation and $12 million will support voluntary buyouts of flood-prone properties.
The county is following HUD protocol with a 30-day public comment period running through June 20. The county will hold two public meetings and gather feedback from the public, communities and additional stakeholders. The final plan is scheduled for submission to HUD by June 30.
Interested entities and contractors will have 120 days to submit bids after registering as a vendor with the Manatee County Procurement Division. All vendors must meet HUD requirements, including civil rights and fair housing laws, and demonstrate adequate financial controls and procurement practices.
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