VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia County is seeking community input on $133.5 million in Hurricane Milton recovery funding that was awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

What You Need To Know

  • The $133.5 million funding can be used to cover unmet needs following Hurricane Milton, specifically for home repairs or replacement and countywide mitigation efforts

  • There will be four meetings designated for the public to come and share what impacts they experienced from the storm. A final public hearing will be held on Feb. 6.

  • The first public input gathering is at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library on Jan. 23 at 5 p.m.

The county is holding four public meetings to discuss the needs of residents who are still working to recover from the Category 5 storm that hit Florida on Oct. 9, 2024.

The funding initiatives aim to support the community’s recovery and mitigation efforts, focusing on infrastructure restoration, housing repair or replacement, economic revitalization and disaster mitigation, according to the county.

The Volusia County Council has held several meetings over the past few months focusing on storm water and flooding issues on the east and west sides of town. County officials said the funding could help repair and replace homes that were damaged.

“While HUD does mandate that these funds are targeted towards low-to-moderate-income families, we strongly encourage any of our residents who have been impacted by Hurricane Milton to please look more into the program,” said Clayton Jackson, Volusia County Government Public Information officer. “It’s better to know a ‘no,’ than to never know.”

Jackson said that the county previously received similar funding from HUD through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program (CDBG-DR) following Hurricane Ian.

The county is also asking residents to fill out an “unmet needs survey” online or in-person at one of the meetings.

Residents who attend the meetings can learn about potential program operations and provide feedback during the sessions, taking place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. each night.

The county said there will be no presentation during the meetings, but staff will be on hand to listen to the public’s concerns.

  • Thursday, Jan. 23: New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 South Dixie Freeway
  • Friday, Jan. 24: Pictona at Holly Hill, 1060 Ridgewood Ave.
  • Monday, Jan. 27: Deltona Regional Library, 2150 Eustace Ave.
  • Wednesday, Jan. 29: Daytona Beach Regional Library, 105 Jackie Robinson Parkway

A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 6, in the County Council Chambers at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center, 123 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand.

Staff will present information on the funds’ possible utilization and invite public comment.