FDEP's coastal repair grant program to open Wednesday for Volusia residents

Sheldon Gardner, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read

Volusia County residents can start applying Wednesday for up to $150,000 in grant funds to help cover the cost of preparing for or repairing coastal damage from tropical storms Ian and Nicole.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is managing the Hurricane Restoration Reimbursement Grant Program, which will launch via an online portal at 9 a.m. on Wednesday at floridadep.gov/hurricane. People will need to first create an FDEP grants user account and log in to view the online application, according to a Volusia County news release. People can also apply on paper.

Coastal property owners with beach erosion from Ian or Nicole can apply, although there are other eligibility requirements.

The state of Florida set aside $50 million for the program as part of a $750 million hurricane relief bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in December. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is managing the program.

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Ken Meister at his Wilbur-By-The-Sea home that was damaged from Tropical Storms Ian and Nicole, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022.
Ken Meister at his Wilbur-By-The-Sea home that was damaged from Tropical Storms Ian and Nicole, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022.

"This grant will cover reimbursement of construction costs associated with sand placement or temporary or permanent coastal armoring," according to a fact sheet from the FDEP. "Construction costs may include design, engineering, construction related monitoring, surveys, materials, labor, contractors and construction oversight. Permit fees are not an eligible cost. To be eligible for reimbursement, activities must have been made in preparation for or to remedy coastal beach erosion or damage sustained from Hurricane Ian or Hurricane Nicole."

Residents in Volusia and over a dozen other counties are eligible to apply.

"The grant program applies to single family homes, residential condominiums and cooperatives," according to the FDEP. "The activity must be permitted prior to implementation, be related to sand placement, temporary orpermanent armoring and have occurred after Sept. 23, 2022."

This program will provide reimbursement grants of up to $150,000 per parcel, but a 50/50 homeowner match will be required, according to the FDEP. The program will prioritize applicants from low to moderate income households.

Officials are encouraging people to submit an application as close to the time the online portal opens as possible. For information, people can contact the FDEP at 850-245-8558 or hrrgp@floridadep.gov.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: FDEP costal repair grant program application to open Wednesday