HUD fixed a geocoding error that sent Milton aid outside the city. $126 million goes to housing repairs, and denied Sunrise St. Pete applicants come first.

St. Petersburg will receive an extra $173 million in federal disaster recovery money for homes and infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Milton. Residents who were turned down by the city’s Sunrise St. Pete program before, and who had Milton damage, will be considered first.

Mayor Kenneth T. Welch announced the money Friday, the second anniversary of Milton’s landfall. The city’s release said he was joined by City Council Vice Chair Richie Floyd and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.

Why Milton victims were left out until now

After the 2024 hurricanes, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the city $159.8 million. That money became Sunrise St. Pete. It covered Hurricanes Helene and Idalia, but not Milton.

That meant the city could not help a household whose only damage came from Milton. City staff raised the problem with HUD at the start of the award process, the city said.

HUD then reviewed its allocation formula and found a geocoding error. The error had sent money meant for city residents to Pinellas County residents who live outside the city limits, according to the city.

How the $173 million splits

Bar chart of HUD disaster recovery grants to St. Petersburg: the first award of $159.8 million for Hurricanes Helene and Idalia, then the new Milton allocation of $126 million for housing recovery and $47.6 million for infrastructure and mitigation with Pinellas County.
HUD disaster recovery grants to St. Petersburg. Chart by St. Pete Now; data City of St. Petersburg.
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The new money comes through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery program. The city said it will be used this way:

  • $126 million for housing recovery for St. Petersburg residents
  • $47.6 million for infrastructure and mitigation projects, in partnership with Pinellas County

HUD sets the total award, the storms it covers and the household income levels that qualify. The program is aimed mainly at low- and moderate-income households, according to the city’s grant page.

“These funds will be used strategically and intentionally to make sure our residents can recover from recent storms and that our infrastructure is prepared for future disasters,” Welch said in the release.

What it means for you

  • You already applied and were denied, and you had Milton damage: you are the first group the city will look at. You do not need to apply again. The city will review applications to its single-family Sunrise St. Pete programs, and a case manager may contact you.
  • You never applied: the city has not yet announced how new applications will work. Updates will be posted at SunriseStPete.org.
  • Timing: the city is still finalizing agreements with HUD and Pinellas County. No start date has been given.

Getting ready for the rest of the season? Our hurricane prep guide lists sandbag sites, evacuation zones and shelters. The city’s sandbag site at 1744 Ninth Ave. N is open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays, according to the city’s sandbag notice.