Platform aims to help Tampa Bay homeowners after hurricanes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new risk management platform called Indigo is aimed at helping Tampa Bay homeowners find and track contractors after natural disasters, as parts of Florida recover from damage after Hurricane Isaias hit the Panhandle last week.

The platform comes as some homeowners face fraudulent contractors who take money but do not complete repairs. Through Indigo, homeowners can create a profile, claim their property, register a project and add or search for a contractor.

Alvin Klasi, a realtor with Peoples Trust Reality Inc., said many homeowners do not know where to turn after a hurricane damages their property.

“Most people don’t know who to hire until they’re in the situation,” Klasi said.

Klasi said some homeowners have hired contractors, only to be left with homes still in disrepair. He said some homes remain untouched because of undocumented situations involving uncontracted people.

“There are still homes today in 2026, coming up on 2027 that haven’t even been touched,” Klasi said.

Matthew Cleary, founder and CEO of Indigo, said he developed the platform after his own experience following the 2024 hurricanes.

“It’s meant for the homeowner to protect their biggest asset,” Cleary said.

Cleary said the goal is to make the process easier for families during difficult moments and to keep contractors accountable.

“We’re using this platform to keep the contractors held accountable through transparency,” Cleary said. “We want to know if there’s delays, we want to know if there is something going on with the money, the entire process is something homeowners are not used to.”

Klasi said he believes Indigo could be useful for realtors and their clients.

“I think that it’ll help them with guidance on who to choose, who to pick and who to follow, who to trust,” Klasi said.

Homeowners can begin uploading their information now. Contractor information is expected to be available to the community beginning next week. Once homeowners and contractors are paired, Indigo will follow through until the project is completed.