Elevate Florida<\/a>, a $400 million mitigation program primarily funded by FEMA.<\/p>\nBut as FEMA\u2019s future remains uncertain and rental assistance runs out for some survivors, many say they\u2019re struggling to get answers \u2014 and need a solution.<\/p>\n
A home damaged by two hurricanes<\/p>\n
Waves still lap just feet away from what\u2019s left of\u00a0Sharon Foster\u2019s waterfront home\u00a0\u2014 a house damaged by\u00a0Hurricane Helene, then\u00a0Hurricane Milton and now caught in a state program that has yet to move forward.<\/p>\n
Foster says she has been out of her home since\u00a0Sept. 26, 2024.<\/p>\n
Outside, tattered tarps and cracked surfaces show where storm surge pushed through, leaving the home uninhabitable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was like Armageddon back here,\u201d Foster said.<\/p>\n
Like many Floridians affected by the storms, Foster had to decide whether to elevate her home, demolish it, or walk away from it.<\/p>\n
The Elevate Florida program<\/p>\n
In early 2025, Florida launched\u00a0Elevate Florida, a $400 million FEMA-funded program to help homeowners elevate, rebuild or harden their properties against future storms.<\/p>\n
State officials say these types of projects can take\u00a0two years or longer, largely because FEMA must review applications and approve funding before construction can begin.<\/p>\n
Officials also say demand far exceeded available funding.<\/p>\n
Of the more than\u00a012,000 applicants, about\u00a090% were denied or dropped out, while others remain under review.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Foster says the financial support helping her stay housed is running out.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I was getting FEMA assistance to rent, but now that assistance is coming to an end,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Waiting for FEMA approval<\/p>\n
Foster says she was approved into the program, but she is still waiting for FEMA to sign off on the next step \u2014 demolishing and elevating her home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still waiting for FEMA to approve knocking the house down and elevating it,\u201d Foster said.<\/p>\n
Inside the home, water-damaged floors and walls are all that remain of the life she built there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the dining area, this is the living room,\u201d Foster said while walking through the house.<\/p>\n
Some belongings remain salvageable.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy kids always made fun of me for keeping their artwork. It was soaking wet but looks like I can salvage it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Once Foster\u2019s FEMA rental assistance ends this month, she says she will be responsible for paying\u00a0both rent and a mortgage\u00a0on a home she cannot live in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are we supposed to do?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Without repairs or elevation, insuring the property has also become a challenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat sane insurance company would insure a situation like this?\u201d Foster said.<\/p>\n
Foster says every attempt to get answers from state and federal agencies has left her feeling stuck in limbo.<\/p>\n
Agencies respond<\/p>\n
Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to FEMA, which referred questions to the state, saying Florida runs the program.<\/p>\n
FEMA added that it supports the state \u201cby providing funding, technical assistance and ensuring projects comply with federal law.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesperson with the\u00a0Florida Division of Emergency Management\u00a0said the program has begun receiving initial FEMA funding determinations.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the agency said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis means that the Elevate Florida program will imminently confirm project type and property owners\u2019 home conditions, to then begin construction stage preparation activities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite that update, Foster says the long wait has been difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to remain optimistic. Sometimes it\u2019s hard because every time you think you are making progress, you\u2019re not,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Nearly a year and a half after the storms, Foster worries that without progress soon, she may have to let go of the home she fought to save \u2014 and start over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BRADENTON, Fla. \u2014\u00a0A state program designed to help Florida homeowners rebuild stronger after the devastating hurricanes in 2024…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":188273,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[2375,7088,115,135,137,136,835],"class_list":{"0":"post-188272","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa","8":"tag-fadia-patterson","9":"tag-manatee-county","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-tampa","12":"tag-tampa-headlines","13":"tag-tampa-news","14":"tag-vod"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188272"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188272\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}