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Council adopts Hurricane Milton disaster recovery action plan; $133.5M allocated with emphasis on mitigation and buyouts
Summary
Volusia County adopted a CDBG-DR action plan for Hurricane Milton, allocating $133.5 million across infrastructure, mitigation and buyouts; staff will open applications after HUD review and 45-day federal review period.
The Volusia County Council on May 6 approved the county’s Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) action plan for Hurricane Milton, detailing how the county will spend an allocation of $133.5 million received for recovery and mitigation work. The council approved the action plan unanimously.
County staff presented a six-year proposed budget that devotes roughly $100 million of the allocation to three major categories: infrastructure, mitigation and home buyouts, with 55% of housing funds proposed for voluntary buyouts of repeatedly damaged homes. HUD rules require at least 70% of funds benefit low- to moderate-income (LMI) persons; staff said the plan prioritizes LMI benefits and incorporates a duplication-of-benefits analysis into each award.
The Milton allocation follows the county’s prior work on Ian relief projects. Staff said they had solicited unmet-needs input from more than 500 residents and coordinated with cities and nonprofits. The action plan proposes a mix of infrastructure investments, home buyout funding and mitigation projects; 15% of the award will be reserved for mitigation activities as required by HUD guidance. Staff noted unmet need figures from county assessments: roughly $248 million for housing and $371 million for infrastructure, and explained the proposed program narrows a portion of those gaps.
If the council’s action plan is accepted by HUD, the county expects a 45-day federal review period. Staff said applications for homeowner programs — including buyouts — will open after HUD signs off on the plan and the county’s applicant portal is ready. Council members asked staff to coordinate with municipal partners on competitive scoring for infrastructure projects and to include match information in evaluations; staff said projects with local match score higher under the proposed criteria.
Councilman David Santiago described buyouts as an important tool for long-term resilience; other members stressed transparency and outreach to affected neighborhoods. The action plan passed on a 7–0 vote.
