Income-eligible homeowners seeking assistance to repair, replace or reconstruct property that was damaged by Hurricane Helene and/or Milton have until March 31 to file applications to LeeCares before the application portal closes.
To access the portal and review program guidelines visit www.leeflcares.com. Individuals may also call 239-382-5453 or visit the LeeCares Intake Center, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9400 Gladiolus Drive, Suite 270 Fort Myers, FL. 33908.
Funding for the LeeCares housing program comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocation to Lee County to address the disaster recovery needs of residents affected by the 2024 hurricanes.
The LeeCares program continues to process applications, conduct damage assessments and provide assistance for home reconstruction, rehabilitation and mobile home replacement throughout Lee County.
Applications submitted on or before March 31 will be evaluated for eligibility and award.
The application portal related to damage from Hurricane Ian closed in December.
Public Comment period for funding amendments
The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to publish proposed substantial amendments to both the Hurricane Ian and Hurricanes Helene and Milton Lee County CDBG-DR Action Plans for a 30-day public comment period beginning immediately.
Lee County was allocated $1.1 billion in funds to support Hurricane Ian disaster recovery and about $100.7 million in CDBG-DR funds to support recovery efforts from 2024 hurricanes Helene and Milton.
As project planning progresses and recovery needs shift, changes to program policies and funding allocations are required within the Action Plan. Lee County is required to create a substantial amendment to the CDBG-DR Action Plan for any changes that expand the eligible beneficiaries of activities, add or delete an activity, any relocation of funds that exceeds 5% of the total approved budget, and any other material changes. Lee County's CDBG-DR Citizen Participation Plan requires that the proposed amendments be published for public review for a period of not less than 30 days.
The proposed amendments allow staff to carry out the Board’s direction to:
- Provide for interchangeability of funds between programs allocated under both Hurricane Ian and Hurricanes Helene and Milton, allowing funds from either award to fill funding shortfalls or other funding gaps as may be necessary to carry out the county’s approved activities.
- Include a $2.4 million increase to the Sanibel Captiva Road and Captiva Drive Resiliency project to fund repairs to the Blind Pass Bridge. As the sole vehicular access for approximately 194 households on Captiva Island, the bridge has sustained repeated damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. This funding supports the project’s ongoing efforts to restore and reinforce critical evacuation and emergency access routes.
For a link to each Action Plan with the proposed amendments, the public notice, a table of contents and a link to the comment form, go to:
- CDBG-DR Hurricane Ian - https://ian-cdbgdr.leegov.com/
- CDBG-DR Hurricanes Helene and Milton - https://2024-cdbgdr.leegov.com/
Comments and questions regarding the substantial amendment may be submitted online at https://ian-cdbgdr.leegov.com/ or https://2024-cdbgdr.leegov.com/, via email to recovery@leegov.com, or by mail to Lee County Government County Administration c/o Strategic Resources and Government Affairs PO Box 398 Fort Myers, FL 33902.
In other action Tuesday, the Board voted to provide up to $20 million in CDBG-DR funding for the construction of 230 affordable rental housing units. The housing development will be constructed at 5300-5360 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers, Florida 33919. The estimated $93,625,000 development, or $407,065 per unit, will receive a $86,957 CDBG-DR subsidy per unit.
To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter here: www.leegov.com/resources/newsletters and follow on social media: www.leegov.com/socialmedia.
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