PALMETTO, Fla. (WWSB) – Rebuilding Together Greater Florida is expanding its mission to help more families recover after devastating storm damage—starting with a mobile home repair project launching Wednesday.
For homeowner Peter Previte, the sounds of the work underway are a welcome relief. “Hearing the sounds of the work being done is almost like a symphony,” Previte said.
Mobile homes are often overlooked by funding, resources and assistance programs, despite being among the most vulnerable housing types during severe weather. Previte knows that reality firsthand.
“When you see damage it’s devastating,” he said. “It’s truly devastating to come back and say ‘OK, what do we do now?’”
Construction manager DJ June says this first project focuses on critical repairs, including a new roof and a carport—work that can be difficult for many homeowners to afford.
“Here we are today, our first one doing the roof and carport, and we’re looking forward to hopefully doing many more,” June said.
Previte’s home located in the Shadow Brook mobile home community in Palmetto, a community that suffered devastating damage to a large percentage of the mobile homes, with many owners unable to make repairs since the damage occurred.
Previte called the help a lifeline. “It’s expensive, and to have these people doing it is truly a miracle,” he said.
June says the non-profit’s expanded focus will go beyond storm recovery, helping address repairs tied to health, safety and mobility—especially for residents who don’t have the resources to make necessary improvements.
“It’ll also help with things other than storm damage—things like health, safety, mobility,” June said. “For those homeowners who maybe can’t afford to do some of those things to their home that are needed, please call us. We can hopefully help with that too.”
Using this project as a model, Rebuilding Together Greater Florida says it’s working to better support more homeowners living in manufactured housing—while emphasizing quality over speed.
“Our goal is to make sure it’s done right, not necessarily quickly,” June said.
Previte says the experience has been overwhelming in the best way. “I can’t thank these great people enough for what they’re doing—how they treated me, how they’ve communicated with me,” he said. “It was just an amazing process, and to be the first, it is truly amazing.”
By investing in these repairs, the organization says it’s helping ensure more Florida families can live in safe, healthy homes—and better withstand future storms.
For homeowners interested in applying for assistance, they can learn more and submit an application through their website.
If they have questions about eligibility or the application process, they can also call their team at (813) 614-2962.
Their Sarasota office is located at: 1760 Mound St., 2nd Floor Sarasota, FL 34236
Information about other office locations throughout Florida can be found here.
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