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State steers $100-million to storm aid

The grant money likely will go to Hurricane Wilma's victims after all.

By IVAN PENN
Published April 13, 2007

Responding to outrage from local governments, state officials moved Thursday to redirect a $100-million federal grant from the My Safe Florida Home mitigation program to victims of Hurricane Wilma.

The decision relieved authorities in affected communities but also suggested that their long-held suspicions were true: Despite pronouncements that the $100-million was available for Wilma victims, that was not what the original plan stated.

But the complaints, a change in administrations and publicity about the controversy led to a new focus for the money.

"Obviously there was a transition in administration," said Janice Browning, a director in the state Department of Community Affairs. "After further review there was some things that we thought could be clarified."

The amended grant proposal still must be approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The $100-million federal grant was part of a congressional aid package for communities hit hard by the 2005 hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

The amendment to the state's Disaster Recovery Action Plan adds housing repair to the state's focus for the disaster funds, while emphasizing that homes also must be strengthened as they are restored.

That means that part of the spirit of the original plan, which was designed to fortify homes against future storms, remains intact. But the new focus means that Wilma victims will benefit more than they would have under the old plan.

"The fact that they were willing to even amend it at all, at first glance, is a big step in a right direction," said Dan Wall, of the Miami-Dade County Office of Strategic Management, who was among those who had raised concerns about the first plan.

But the amended plan throws a wrinkle in the state's efforts to fortify homes against future storms.

The $100-million had long been viewed as a way to bolster the state's almost year-old My Safe Florida program. It already has 50,000 homeowners on a waiting list to receive benefits, and it was announced this week that the program is expanding statewide.

Created last May, the program offers free home inspections and grants up to $5,000 to qualified homeowners.

The Jeb Bush administration aimed to couple the $100-million in federal funds with $250-million the state Legislature allocated for the program.

As his aide Teresa Tinker put it in an e-mail in October, the HUD money "will be used to 'harden' homes to building codes plus standards."

Tami Torres, the My Safe Florida Home coordinator, told the Times that the $100-million was to help homeowners protect against future damage.

"It is for mitigation," she said.

Local government officials complained in December that their communities remained in disrepair as a result of the 2005 storms and needed the money to help put roofs on homes that after almost two years still have blue tarps.

In a conference call about the plan, the local officials said the state's decision ignored the needs of their communities to support My Safe Florida Home.

The state said that although it intended to use the bulk of the money for fortifying homes, local governments also could use the money to meet the needs of communities devastated by Hurricane Wilma.

The local officials didn't buy it.

And the amended action plan released Thursday suggested they had reason to be concerned.

"The previous, approved action plan contemplated that the money would be used to support the My Safe Florida Home program," said DCA spokesman Jon Peck. "The action plan ... focused primarily on hardening and mitigation."

The Department of Financial Services, which runs My Safe Florida Home, supported the decision to amend the plan.

"Whatever the federal government and the Department of Community Affairs works out is fine with us," said Tara Klimek, a financial services spokeswoman.

A public hearing on the amended action plan is scheduled for April 26 in Tallahassee. The final amended plan will be submitted to HUD in early May.

Ivan Penn covers consumer affairs issues. He can be reached at ipenn@sptimes.com or 727 892-2332.

[Last modified April 13, 2007, 01:05:09]