ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A unique disaster recovery program is helping residents do something different: buy a new home.
The Pinellas Recovers Homebuyer Assistance Program is accepting applications through Friday, offering eligible residents up to $80,000 in down payment assistance using federal disaster recovery funds.
Lisa Dunaway said she and her husband never imagined homeownership would be possible after the 2024 hurricanes damaged their apartment and she was injured while cleaning up afterward.
“We knew we had to get out of where we were,” Dunaway said. “It was just so expensive to move.”
Their real estate agent told them about the county’s homebuyer assistance program, which provides up to $80,000 toward the purchase of a home. The couple applied.
“We were at the closing and the attorney came in and said the check from the county came… your $80,000 is here,” Dunaway said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
The funding comes from federal disaster recovery dollars administered by Pinellas County through Pinellas Recovers. The Homebuyer Assistance Program is one of five programs that’s distributing funds to those hit by the recent hurricanes.
To qualify, applicants must have lived in Pinellas County during Hurricanes Idalia, Helene, or Milton, cannot already own a home, and must meet household income limits. Those limits are up to 120% of the area’s median income, which equates to about $110,000 annually for a two-person household and roughly $137,000 for a family of four.
Grant coordinator Mackenzie Bergstrom said this type of assistance is uncommon.
“This is not funding that HUD gives out every single day,” Bergstrom said. “This is disaster relief funding, and not a lot of people get the opportunity to take advantage of it.”
One reason the county can use disaster recovery funding for home purchases is that homes bought through the program must be located outside of a flood zone.
“We’re putting families into homes that are out of the flood zone,” Bergstrom said. “We’re actively taking action to mitigate against having homes flood in the future.”
County officials said about 600 applications remain in the pipeline, with three to four home closings taking place each week. More than 50 buyers have already purchased homes through the program.
That group includes Dunaway and her husband.
“This program made it so I could get a house that wasn’t just like, ‘Okay, you’re in a house,’” she said. “It’s a beautiful home.”
The deadline to submit an application for the Homebuyer Assistance Program is July 31 at 11:59 p.m. County officials said anyone who has already submitted an application before the deadline will continue through the review process.
Friday is also the application deadline for renter reimbursement assistance through Pinellas Recovers. Additional programs that help homeowners repair storm damage and provide assistance to landlords remain open.