HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Hillsborough County is opening two localized pop-up service centers this month to assist residents still dealing with property damage from the 2024 hurricanes. The temporary sites, located in Wimauma and Plant City, are designed to guide income-eligible homeowners through the application process for the county’s Rebuilding for Tomorrow Homeowner Repair and Reconstruction Program, which holds more than $211 million in dedicated relief funds.
The Wimauma center will operate every Monday in June—specifically June 8, 15, 22, and 29—at the Wimauma Community Health Center, located at 16621 Lagoon Shore Blvd. The Plant City center will open every Tuesday in June—June 9, 16, 23, and 30—at the Plant City Community Resource Center at 307 N. Michigan Ave. Both pop-up locations will accept visitors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For residents who cannot make it to the temporary sites, the main Rebuilding for Tomorrow Service Center at 1029 E. Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa remains open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The county has also launched a dedicated call center at (813) 540-7767, operating during those same weekday hours, to answer questions and walk applicants through the paperwork.
The funding stems from a larger $709 million grant awarded to Hillsborough County by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through its Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery program. While the bulk of that massive federal grant covers regional infrastructure repairs—targeting storm-damaged roads, canals, culverts, and water stations in partnership with Plant City, Tampa, and Temple Terrace—the $211 million slice is reserved strictly for residential housing recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Depending on the extent of the storm damage and the repairs already completed, qualified applicants can access significant financial assistance. The program offers up to $350,000 for homeowners who need to completely replace or rebuild a destroyed home.
For properties that need structural fixes but do not require a full rebuild, up to $150,000 is available to cover repairs that insurance or other disaster programs skipped over. Homeowners who have already paid out of pocket to repair their properties with permitted contractors can apply for retroactive reimbursements ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.
The program uses specific income caps to determine who qualifies. Homeowners can apply if their household income falls at or below 120% of the Area Median Income, which translates to an annual income of $110,100 for a two-person household. However, county administrators are prioritizing households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income, which equals $73,400 for a two-person household.
Applications for the Rebuilding for Tomorrow program will remain open to the public on a rolling basis until every dollar of the federal funding is officially allocated to qualified residents.
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