Volusia County outlines $133.5 million CDBG‑DR recovery plan for Hurricane Milton, prioritizes mitigation and buyouts

Donna Butler, director of the Office of Recovery and Resiliency, told a community meeting that Volusia County has a draft action plan to deploy $133,500,000 in Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) funds allocated for Hurricane Milton, with an emphasis on mitigation and housing buyouts.

The plan matters because HUD requires certain limits and timelines: at least 15% of funds must be used for mitigation, 70% of the total must benefit low‑ and moderate‑income persons, and the funds must be spent within six years, Butler said. The plan is posted for a required 30‑day public comment period and, if revised with public comments, is slated to go to the county council in the first May meeting for approval and submittal to HUD.

Butler said Congress appropriated a federal disaster package in February and HUD published a Federal Register notice allocating $133,500,000 in CDBG‑DR to Volusia County for Hurricane Milton. She summarized the broad funding breakdown in the draft: 5% administration, 5% planning, 30% housing (about half of which the plan would devote to buyouts), 47% infrastructure (with a $62,000,000 top infrastructure bucket…