MIAMI, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity opened the Miami-Dade Rebuild Florida center to help Florida homeowners repair and rebuild homes that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irma.

DEO Executive Director Cissy Proctor said, “Many of the families impacted by Hurricane Irma are still rebuilding their lives and their homes. We are committed to helping Floridians recover from Hurricane Irma’s devastating effects – especially individuals and families in our hardest hit communities like Miami-Dade.”

Rebuild Florida, a program of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, will connect eligible Florida homeowners with federal disaster recovery funding to repair and rebuild homes. The program will initially serve those in the federally designated most-impacted counties.

Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo said, “I know how devastating Hurricane Irma was here in Miami-Dade County, and although recovery has been going on for one year, we know that there is still work to be done. Our partnership with Rebuild Florida will ensure our most vulnerable residents can fully recover from the damage and destruction of Hurricane Irma.”

In these hardest-hit communities, funding will prioritize the most vulnerable populations, including low-income households with seniors age 62 and older, households with children age 5 or younger, households with special needs and disabilities, and persons displaced from Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands who are permanently resettling in Florida. Owners of rental properties also may qualify if they are renting to low or moderate-income Floridians.

The Miami-Dade Rebuild Florida center will serve as a local resource for homeowners to begin the disaster recovery process. The center will be open Monday through Saturday so case managers can help homeowners complete the 15-30 minute registration process. Homeowners have until December 23 to begin the registration process. The center is located at 7900 N.W. 27th Ave., Suite 200 in Miami. Homeowners may also visit RebuildFlorida.gov or call the Rebuild Florida customer center at 844-833-1010 to receive assistance with registration.

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