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

Executive Director Cissy Proctor said, “Many of the families impacted by Hurricane Irma are still in need of recovery assistance as they continue to rebuild their homes. Since immediately after the hurricane, we’ve been working to help Floridians restore their lives, so we are pleased to be launching the Rebuild Florida program to continue to meet the needs of this community.”

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.

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, individuals with disabilities, and those 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 Brevard County 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 297 Barnes Blvd. in Rockledge. Homeowners may also visit RebuildFlorida.gov or call the Rebuild Florida call center at 844-833-1010 to receive assistance with registration.

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