Pasco County opens applications for Better Future housing relief; reimbursement checks expected soon

Pasco County opened applications Dec. 1 for the Better Future individual housing program, officials said on the Pasco podcast. The program is aimed at homeowners and small rental landlords affected by hurricanes Adalia, Helene or Milton in 2023 or 2024 and offers repair, reconstruction or replacement of mobile homes and reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.

"The individual housing program started first, December first," said Tim Lagudi, Citizen Services Director. Chuck Lane, Office of Disaster Recovery Resources Director, said program staff expect reimbursements to move quickly: "We actually hope to get some reimbursement checks out by Christmas." The county directed residents to pasco.net and a Better Future portal for the application link and document checklist.

Officials said the program is income-qualified and uses HUD low-to-moderate income limits. Lane provided sample thresholds, saying a family of four has a maximum annual income of $83,450; for a single-person household he said "I believe it's 53,000 or $58,450," a figure the speakers did not resolve on the podcast. The county said it must meet a requirement that 70% of funds benefit low-income households and will monitor applications to maintain compliance.

Technical assistance will be available for applicants. "IEM is going to have a team in place for people with technical assistance to work them through these applications," Lane said, and Tim Lagudi added that applicants will be assigned dedicated case managers and that staff will hold community meetings and make home visits for residents who are unable to travel.

On the construction side, Lane said the program will assign contractors under county contract to approved homeowners rather than requiring residents to hire their own. He said roughly "10 to 15 contractors" are under contract through IEM to handle repairs. For homes that cannot be repaired, a demolition-and-replacement track is available but will take longer to complete.

Tim Lagudi warned applicants about HUD insurance rules: "If you are in the 100 year flood plain and this is a HUD requirement, you have to maintain flood insurance on that property for the life of the property." The county said it will post a document checklist and additional program details on its Better Future webpage.

The program team encouraged residents to apply quickly so the county can assess intake and, if feasible within compliance rules, broaden eligibility later. "So let's get these applications in," Lane said.

The county did not provide a full breakdown of available funds for the individual housing track on the podcast; officials said additional programs for economic recovery, infrastructure and new housing will follow.