Hillsborough's $211M HRRP Is Still Open — Here's What Homeowners Can Claim

If you own a storm-damaged home in Hillsborough County and haven't yet applied for the county's Rebuilding for Tomorrow program — stop reading and go apply right now.

Officials say the program is open and accepting applications.

And if you're a buyer or seller trying to read the Hillsborough market right now, this program is quietly reshaping the recovery math in ways that matter to your decision.

The Backstory: Three Storms, One Very Large Check

Between August and October 2024, Hillsborough County absorbed three separate federally declared disasters.

DR-4806 (Hurricane Debby), DR-4828 (Hurricane Helene), and DR-4834 (Hurricane Milton) each designated Hillsborough County as a disaster area

— a rare back-to-back-to-back sequence that unlocked an extraordinary level of federal recovery funding.

Lawmakers secured $709.3 million in federal funding through a HUD Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocation, and those dollars flow through the Rebuilding for Tomorrow initiative.

The biggest single piece of that —

more than $211 million in CDBG-DR funding

— is dedicated entirely to single-family housing repairs, reconstruction, and reimbursements.

What the Program Actually Pays For

This is not a small assistance check.

Depending on eligibility, homeowners may qualify for up to $350,000 to replace or rebuild storm-damaged housing, $10,000 to $50,000 in eligible reimbursement costs for permitted work already completed, or up to $150,000 for eligible repairs not covered by other programs. Residents who have received previous recovery aid from FEMA or other sources can still qualify for relief funds.

That last point is critical: if you already filed a FEMA claim, collected insurance, or paid a contractor out of pocket, you may still be entitled to additional gap funding here.

In addition to homeowner assistance, some of the grant money will go toward repairing damage the storms caused to roads, canals, culverts, pump stations, wastewater lift stations, and other infrastructure — and toward projects that will improve the area's resilience for future storms.

Who Qualifies — and Where to Apply

Residents applying for assistance can live anywhere in Hillsborough County, including in the City of Tampa, Temple Terrace, or Plant City.

Eligibility boils down to four things:

Applicants must be single-family homeowners, not renters or landlords.

Property cannot be located within a regulatory floodway.

The program is for homeowners earning up to 120% of Area Median Income ($110,100 annual household income for a two-person household), with priority given to those earning 80% or less ($73,400 annual household income for a two-person household).

Eligible home types include single-family residences such as wood-built detached structures, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and mobile or manufactured homes.

To apply: head to RebuildingForTomorrow.HCFL.gov, or show up in person at the Service Center at 1029 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa.

Residents can also call (813) 540-7767 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Roughly 1,800 residents have applied for assistance through the program, which continues to accept applications while funding remains available.

With $211 million in the pot and demand expected to be high, waiting is a gamble.

What This Means for Buyers and Sellers in Hillsborough

I talk to buyers all the time who are nervous about shopping in neighborhoods that flooded in 2024 — South Tampa waterfront blocks, areas near the Hillsborough River, Thonotosassa, and parts of Temple Terrace. That nervousness is understandable. But the existence of a well-funded, active repair-and-rebuild program changes the calculus.

When homes in a neighborhood get restored to code — or fully rebuilt — using grant dollars, distressed and blighted properties come off the market, comps stabilize, and the supply of deeply discounted "hurricane deals" eventually dries up. For buyers hoping to pick up a damaged home at a discount and flip it, the window is narrowing. For sellers who repaired and are now listing, a recently rebuilt home in a recovering block is a much easier story to tell.

If you're a current Hillsborough homeowner sitting on repair costs from Helene or Milton and you haven't looked at this program yet, that's money you may be leaving on the table. And if you're buying or selling a home anywhere in Hillsborough County, knowing how flood zones and disaster history affect your deal is part of doing your homework. If you want a read on what your property is actually worth in today's recovery market, the home value calculator is a good place to start.