U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands Lakeisha Hood Moise announced this week that the department is launching a pilot program to make it easier for people to access loans and grants to repair homes damaged by the Adkins Avenue and Chipola Complex Fires, as well as Tropical Storms Nicole and Ian and Hurricanes Nicole and Ian in calendar year 2022 and future natural disasters.
The homes must be located in eligible rural areas and presidentially declared disaster areas in states selected to participate in the pilot, which includes Florida.
“The Biden-Harris administration and USDA stand ready to deploy every resource at our disposal to help families and individuals recover and recuperate,” Moise said. “We are working hard to find solutions that better accommodate people impacted by natural disasters in rural areas across this state, to help them get the resources they need to rebuild their homes and their lives. The pilot program we are announcing today is a key example of this critical work and will hopefully create a blueprint for helping people in rural communities across the country recover from natural disasters.”
This USDA pilot program expands eligibility for people seeking Single Family Housing Repair Loans and Grants to repair and rebuild their homes damaged in areas of presidentially declared disasters.
As a part of this pilot, USDA is making a number of changes, including:
Lowering the minimum age from 62 to 18 for eligible homeowners.
Refinancing debt and reimbursing repair costs incurred as a result of the natural disaster and prior to the date of the application.
Financing costs to relocate mobile and manufactured homes.
Funds may be used in presidentially declared disaster areas that occurred since July 18, 2022, which includes all 67 Florida counties. Funds may also be used in areas subject to future natural disasters in the next two years.
Applications must be submitted directly to the Rural Development State Office. For more information on how to apply, see here.
Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas.
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