Manateeโค County’s Lasting Manatee Program to Launch Early 2026, Aiding Hurricane recovery
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. -โฃ Manateeโค County residents impacted by the 2024 hurricanes will soon have access to additional recovery assistance thru the Lasting Manatee program. Funded โbyโ a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the program will begin accepting applications in early โ2026.
The home โrecovery program โขis designed to โaddress “unmet needs” – repairs not fully โcovered by homeowners’ insurance. According to Odugo Oizu, Lasting Manatee Grant Communications โขCoordinator, “In our program, โit will look โat whatever remaining repairs are needed. Weโ call that the unmet โขneed.”
Eligibility for theโข program will be determined basedโข on household income and size. โResidents with โ homeowners’ โคinsurance are still encouraged to apply, as the program aims to cover theโข difference between insurance payouts and โฃtotal repair costs.
Applicationsโฃ will be accepted โfor a limited โtime – aโข 30-dayโ window – after the program officially launches. โค”Onc โitโ closes out, thatโ is the end โคof the timing that we can make sure people apply,” โOizu stated.
County officials are urgingโ residents to proactively sign up for email notifications on the program’s website, LastingManatee.org. this email list โwill serve as the primary method for announcing the applicationโค opening date. The website โขalso features a survey designed to help โฃspread awareness of the program toโค local community groups, churches, and homeowner associations, along with fact sheets and frequently asked โquestions.
“Theโ top โคpriority is getting on our website’s email โlist,” Oizu emphasized. โ”We’re usingโ that as โa notification system. So, the moment the funding is ready, we’ll โsend the alert out.”