The federal government is adding $173 million to Sunrise St. Pete, the city’s federal disaster recovery program that was originally seeded with nearly $160 million following impacts from Hurricanes Idalia and Helene.
The latest round of funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program (CDBG-DR). The new funding adds Hurricane Milton to the list of hurricane impacts that qualify for funding.
“I’m proud to announce that because of the diligence and perseverance of our City staff, the City of St. Petersburg received an additional $173 million in funds for Milton recovery and mitigation efforts,” St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said.
“These funds will be used strategically and intentionally to make sure our residents can recover from recent storms and that our infrastructure is prepared for future disasters. Thank you to our federal partners and the county for their efforts in helping us secure this additional funding. And a huge thank you to our City staff — their skill and commitment over the past two years has fueled our recovery efforts while also setting the standard for public service.”
Of the new funding, $126 million will be used to directly support housing recovery for St. Pete residents. The remaining $47.6 million will be used in partnership with Pinellas County to support infrastructure and mitigation projects.
“I will continue to be a strong voice for the residents and communities devastated by these disasters, advocating for them at the federal level and fighting to ensure they receive the critical relief and resources they need to recover, rebuild, and move forward,” said U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who joined Welch and St. Pete City Council Member Richie Floyd during a Friday press conference announcing the funding.
“Our communities deserve nothing less than the full support of the federal government.”
Under the initial funding for Sunrise St. Pete, the city was not permitted to use the federal funds for Hurricane Milton impacts. The new funds are authorized for Milton recovery within the city of St. Petersburg.
While the funding has been allocated, the city is still in the process of finalizing agreements with HUD and Pinellas County. Once agreements are finalized, the city will focus funding on residents impacted by Hurricane Milton who were previously denied funding under Sunrise St. Pete.
Residents who previously applied do not need to apply again, city officials said. The city will review existing applications and applicants may be contacted by a case manager for next steps.
