Pinellas County Begins Distributing Checks From $813M Hurricane Relief Program

Pinellas County started giving out checks Monday from its $813 million People First Hurricane Recovery Program. Over 3,700 people have asked for help since the program started on Oct. 20. Christian Piccion lives in Seminole. He was the first person to get disaster money when County Commission Chair Brian Scott brought the check to his family.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development pays for the program. It helps residents who are still recovering from Hurricanes Idalia, Helene, and Milton. People who lived in the county during the storms and still need help can apply.

Piccion and his wife, who was pregnant at the time, had to leave their home twice during the 2024 hurricane season. Helene's storm surge flooded his landlord's house on St. Pete Beach. The family moved to a new rental in Seminole, but Milton hit three days later.

"Well, we got six inches of water, so there was flooding through the back," Piccion said, according to St. Pete Catalyst. "My wife at that point was nine months pregnant, and we basically had to leave again for 31 days."

He said staying at a hotel for a month and eating out created a money problem. Moving the entire family twice also caused stress.

Homeowners can get money to repair, rebuild, or replace damaged homes. They can also get paid back for work they already finished. Income-eligible homebuyers can get help to purchase houses outside flood zones. Officials set aside money for local landlords to repair or rebuild affordable housing properties.

Residents can also get paid back for disaster expenses. This includes rent, mortgage, or utility payments. The over 3,700 applications represent just a small part of the available money.

"We have literally hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars that we need to get into people's hands," Scott said. "It is not for governments to recover. It's to get in people's hands and help lift them up."

The program puts low-income residents first, per federal guidelines. Help is available for anyone earning up to 120% of the area median income: $87,600 for one person or $125,150 for a family of four. Homeowner and homebuyer assistance ranges from $58,450 for one person to $110,200 for an eight-person household.

Residents with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income can get up to $15,000 for six months of disaster-related expenses. Piccion was the first to apply for help at a St. Petersburg resource center in October.

In-person help is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 2600 McCormick Drive, Suite 100, in Clearwater, and at 500 Park Street, Suite 4, in St. Petersburg. St. Petersburg residents can't use the county program because the city opened applications for its own $160 million storm recovery program Dec. 8.