ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Nearly three years after Hurricane Ian tore through Central Florida, some homeowners are finally seeing long-awaited repairs begin through the Orange County Recovers program — a federally funded initiative designed to help low and moderate-income residents still living with damage from the 2022 storm.

What You Need To Know

Orange County has started repairs on homes damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022

Federal funds were delayed because of extensive compliance requirements

Homeowner Lorenzo Turner suffered a stroke after the storm and waited years for help

The application portal for Orange County Recovers remains open for eligible residents

Homeowner Lorenzo Turner has lived in his Apopka house for more than 40 years, but when Hurricane Ian hit, he said he immediately knew something wasn’t right.

“I was in the house at the time of the storm. I knew something was wrong,” Turner said. 

Weeks later, Turner suffered a stroke, something he said he believes came from the overwhelming stress of the storm and its aftermath.

“I take one day at a time. I could have been a lot worse,” he said. 

Turner lives with his niece and nephew, who now help care for him. He said he didn’t know if help would ever come until he heard about the new county program offering repairs.

The construction underway now is funded through the federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Funds may be used for housing repairs, replacements or full reconstruction. The county received the money in 2023, but project manager Sherry Julien said repairs couldn’t start until strict federal requirements were completed.

“When we received the funds, there were several compliance requirements and items that we needed to do before we could get access to the dollars,” Julien said. “Once we got access, we had to work on developing the programs, policies and procedures and SOPs.” 

Because of that lengthy process, the first wave of home repairs is only now beginning. Turner’s home was approved for a full repair.

“We’re doing a roof replacement, interior repairs, flooring, electrical, plumbing and carpentry,” Julien said. 

For Turner, seeing the repairs start feels like a fresh start.

“I feel like a millionaire,” he said. 

Turner and his family are temporarily relocated while crews work on the home.

He said he hopes his story encourages others who are still struggling with hurricane damage to seek help through the program.

“This program is true… please go get it,” Turner said. 

Orange County officials said the Orange County Recovers application portal remains open for anyone who may still qualify. To be eligible, the resident had to own the home and it had to be the resident’s primary residence when Hurricane Ian damaged the property and must still live in the home. The property must be within Orange County or its municipalities, and it cannot be subject to bankruptcy proceedings or be in foreclosure.