Rebuild Florida offers hope to those who FEMA couldn't help

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A new billion dollar state program launched Wednesday that focuses on helping repair the homes of low-income households still affected by storm damage.

One of the nine Rebuild Florida centers across the state opened in Orange County.

Many homeowners in the area had to weather the rainy season with blue tarps on their roofs from Hurricane Irma damage.

Bypassed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, they hope to qualify for a second chance to restore their homes.
Terri Johnston still has the notice the county posted on her window after Hurricane Irma blew holes through the roof of her mobile home in 2017.

For three months, Johnston waited for help from FEMA, and then for an SBA loan that never came.

Last December, we snapped this picture when this grandmother showed us how she often crawled up on her roof to adjust the shifting tarp

She was left to patch the roof at her own cost with tar and gorilla tape

“I just had to, you know, pick up the pieces and do what I could do and move on,” said Johnston.

More than a year after the storm, she now hopes she'll qualify for the new state program Rebuild Florida, which offers overdue 
storm repairs for struggling families and individuals.

“This is just an additional resource and it's a large resource that really can come in and make a huge difference,” said director Cissy Proctor.

After six trips to FEMA offices to fix botched paperwork, Johnston was encouraged by Rebuild Florida's process when she registered over the phone in less than 20 minutes.

“I was crying when I talked to the lady, like really, you mean you can help? You think, might be able to?” she said.

She's now cautiously optimistic while she awaits that answer.

“Patience and faith and strength and I know I'm not the only person going through it, but it'd be nice to see what comes of it,” Johnston said.

Eligibility will be need-based and calculated by a formula.

Most people who register will learn in about 30 days whether they qualify to apply.

Cox Media Group