TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A South Tampa woman thanked Mayor Jane Castor and the city after receiving thousands to repair her home after hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Kelly Doston, 65, said her home was damaged by both hurricanes Helene and Milton. She said that stepping into her home in October of 2024 was like stepping into a nightmare.

“When I turned the knob, water shot out of the house and my refrigerator was turned over, my stove was turned over,” Doston said. “I never had seen a disaster like that. So I came out on the porch and I was just crying.”

Kelly said it took nearly a year for her to move back in and, as a disabled woman, covering the costs of the repairs seemed like a challenge she couldn’t take on.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do anything,” Doston said, “the Lord blessed me to get this grant, and the city blessed me to get the grant.”

The Homeowner Hurricane Assistance Fund, which helped Kelly, had two million dollars to distribute to disaster victims. A unique program Mayor Jane Castor said that helped residents from neighborhoods like Forest Hills, Palmetto Beach, and South Tampa, where the storms hit the hardest.

“We were knocked to our knees momentarily. We got back up, helped our community remove the debris and start to rebuild,” Mayor Jane Castor said.

The applications are closed, and the city has 200-thousand dollars left over that they are distributing to pending applications. To date they’ve awarded 1.8 million dollars to 100 applicants.

However, there’s still help available. Hillsborough County received 709 million from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to support recovery and mitigation efforts.

Those whose homes were severely damaged, like Kelly Doster, still have a chance to fix their property.

Kelly’s granddaughter, Maurisha Myers, says the city’s help was a blessing for the entire family.

“I’m happy she’s getting it because she was so, like, I don’t know how I’m gonna repair my house because it’s not cheap to own a house, it’s very expensive,” Myers said.

The application process for the county’s funds should start next month, and the website should go live in the coming weeks. The county also plans to open up a center on Hillsborough Avenue where you can get help with the application process.

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