The Florida Keys will receive a new influx of funds to help the islands recover from Hurricane Irma. According to Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Keys will receive $21 million to help deal with hurricane damage and an additional $35 million investment in affordable housing. The state’s Department of Emergency Management is providing the funds to reimburse Monroe County’s expenses from the September 2017 hurricane when it spent millions on repairing damage, removing debris and taking emergency measures to protect other facilities.
In addition, the housing funds aim to address issues sparked by the hurricane. It comes as part of a state program designed to increase the level of affordable housing for the area’s workforce. In the Keys, an existing shortfall of accessible housing was worsened by the effects of the hurricane. The funds are being administered by the Florida Housing Finance corporation as part of the Rebuild Florida program sponsored by the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity.
The economic costs of a hurricane are not only damaging at a state level; they can also be individually painful. Hurricane damage is devastating to many Florida homeowners as they face significant costs when repairing their homes. Even those who are fully insured may find themselves dealing with numerous hurdles along the path to restoring their homes. Insurance companies can delay or deny homeowners’ insurance claims repeatedly, leaving owners waiting for a final decision before they can fully invest in much-needed repairs. Some owners may also be angry as they have paid faithfully into their insurance policies for years.
Homeowners who are struggling with an insurance company over a denied homeowners’ insurance claim may not be aware of all of their options to obtain the compensation they need. An insurance law attorney may work with homeowners to help them pursue their rights.