Port Orange mobile home residents must make upgrades for future storms

PORT ORANGE, Fla. — Hundreds of Port Orange residents will soon receive letters warning them to make upgrades to their homes or risk losing help from FEMA in future storms.

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The homes impacted are mobile or manufactured homes that have been deemed “substantially damaged.” That means the cost to repair is more than 50 % of the structure’s market value.

FEMA will offer money to help homeowners meet compliance and if they chose not to, they still have a few options.

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• They can hire a private appraiser if they believe the market value assessment is too low.
• They can replace the damaged home with a new, compliant manufactured home.
• Hire a surveyor to confirm if the home meets flood-resistant standards and is elevated to the Base Flood Elevation plus one foot.

Those options would have to be paid for by the homeowner.

“What they’re trying to do is avoid repetitive loss and repetitive loss hurts the taxpayers all over the place when we’re paying into that big pot and that money has to be distributed. We want those FEMA dollars to go farther so we can help more people,” said Mayor Don Burnette.

Burnette said the letters to residents will go out in the coming weeks. At that point, residents can reach out to the city for help with the process.

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More information from the city of Port Orange:

What is the purpose of the letters?

FEMA, Florida Building Code, and local floodplain management codes require issuing of substantial damage letters for structures in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) if repair costs exceed 50% of the home’s market value. This process helps residents make their homes more flood-resilient by ensuring compliance with floodplain management standards from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, Florida Building Code, and the City’s Land Development Code.  This enables residents to receive a 25% discount on FEMA flood insurance, be eligible for federal disaster aid, grants, and mortgage programs, like FHA and VA loans, that may be essential in future emergencies and ensures the City remains eligible for FEMA disaster assistance and debris removal reimbursement, which creating significant savings for our community and helps improve resiliency.

Residents with questions are encouraged to reach out to the City at SDinfo@port-orange.org

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How many homes will receive the letter?

Around 400 homes are anticipated to receive the letters required by FEMA when they are issued in the coming weeks. This number is expected to fluctuate as more data comes into the City.

What help is available to cover the mitigation costs for residents?

FEMA offers two grant programs: the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and the Flood Mitigation Assistance. These programs can assist residents with funding to reduce flooding risks in future storms and in some cases can cover nearly the entire costs of the mitigation. Residents interested in getting more information on these programs can reach out to the City by emailing SDinfo@port-orange.org

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