Tallahassee, Fla. –  Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that nearly $20 million has been awarded to 37 counties, municipalities, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rebuild Florida General Planning Support Program. The program, administered by DEO, provides funding for communities and organizations to develop or enhance state, regional, or local plans which will enable the state of Florida to withstand future disasters.

The funds are allocated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program formed in response to the 2016 to 2017 presidentially declared disasters.

“The resiliency of the state of Florida remains a top priority for my administration as we approach the two-year anniversary of my executive order to achieve more now for Florida’s environment,” said Governor DeSantis. “I’m pleased to build on our environmental achievements with this first-of-its-kind, mitigation program that will provide Florida’s communities the opportunity to become more resilient to future storms.” 

Through Rebuild Florida, local governments, and municipalities have access to the resources necessary to bolster their community’s resiliency to future disasters.

“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has become better prepared for future disasters, and the Rebuild Florida General Planning Support Program will take these communities’ storm preparedness to the next level,” said DEO Executive Director Dane Eagle. “We look forward to supporting these communities as they rebuild and prepare for the future.”

DEO is awarding the following entities funding through the Rebuild Florida General Planning Support Program:

• Atlantic Council of the United States, Inc. ($1,110,235) – to create a strategy for a resilience hub, a community-serving facility designed to support residents, educate the public, distribute resources, coordinate communications, and stage government services. 
• Charlotte County Utilities ($1,000,000) – to develop a strategic resiliency support plan for the County’s water utility system.
• City of Atlantic Beach ($86,950) – to update a vulnerability assessment with an analysis on tidal marsh and water facilities and create an adaptation plan to improve infrastructure, enhance development regulation, and identify solutions for vulnerabilities.
• City of Dania Beach ($795,000) – to develop a risk assessment of a stormwater drainage system in the community.
• City of Davenport ($255,000) – to develop a wastewater and reuse water master plan to benefit the community.
• City of Haines City ($385,000) – to develop a potable water master plan to benefit the community.
• City of Haines City ($550,000) – to develop a wastewater master plan to benefit the community.
• City of Hollywood ($400,000) – to develop a risk assessment of areas prone to flooding, including vulnerability to natural hazards.
• City of Jacksonville ($63,500) – to prepare a vulnerability analysis to identify which neighborhoods within the city are vulnerable to future disasters.
• City of Key West ($500,000) – to develop a resiliency and revitalization plan around stormwater management in Key West.
• City of Key West ($500,000) – to conduct a vulnerability assessment for the community.
• City of Orlando ($126,000) – to develop a risk assessment, hazard identification, public engagement, and flood mitigation strategy.
• City of Palatka ($385,000) – to develop an infiltration and inflow mitigation capital improvement plan.
• City of Port St. Lucie ($80,000) – to identify threats, hazards, impacts and capabilities of the City’s response to a disaster and provide a Threat Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA).
• City of St. Petersburg ($900,626) – to develop a comprehensive seawall mitigation strategy to address sea level rise.
• City of Tampa ($500,000) – to develop a coastal resiliency action plan to evaluate state, local, and regional requirements.
• City of West Palm Beach ($450,000) – to prepare resiliency updates to city plans, data mapping, and community outreach.
• City of Winter Haven ($179,375) – to develop a multi-jurisdictional dark fiber network plan.
• City of Winter Haven ($500,000) – to develop a flood mitigation, future development, land use, multi-modal transportation and funding plan.
• East Central Florida Regional Planning Council ($1,499,000) – to develop a statewide approach to flood planning that will transfer models and planning efforts developed in coastal areas to inland areas to provide a regional framework.
• Florida State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning ($348,898) – to create a graduate capstone program that will develop a more efficient and coordinated hazard planning process at the state, regional, and municipal level.
• Groundwork Jacksonville, Inc. ($718,809) – to develop a watershed restoration and management plan for McCoys Creek and Hogans Creek to address flood mitigation, water quality, habitat restoration, recreation, and community resiliency.
• Lee County Board of County Commissioners ($253,000) – to develop a risk assessment of coastal public infrastructure.
• Miami-Dade County ($2,009,020) – to develop a mitigation plan for community stakeholders and to conduct a mitigation assessment on critical facilities.
• Northeast Florida Regional Council ($700,000) – to develop a comprehensive regional resilience plan for 18 counties in Northeast Florida.
• Osceola County ($1,260,000) – to update and expand the County’s surface water management plan.
• Palm Beach County ($800,000) - to prepare a vulnerability assessment and resilience action plan.
• Pasco County ($754,870) – to develop a vulnerability assessment to identify at-risk and critical infrastructure subject to natural disasters and provide adaptive and mitigation strategies.
• Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners ($992,000) – to develop a countywide flood mitigation action plan.
• Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council ($350,000) – to develop a regional food security plan across seven Southwest Florida counties.
• St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners ($210,000) – to develop a countywide transportation plan to address public infrastructure mitigation needs.
• St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners ($600,000) – to develop a regional resiliency plan, vulnerability assessment, and Treasure Coast Regional Compact.
• Town of Southwest Ranches ($250,000) – to develop a stormwater management system plan.
• Town of Surfside ($107,500) – to develop a drainage improvement plan to benefit the community.
• University of Florida ($195,300) – to develop a flood mitigation plan that will identify at-risk critical infrastructure and vulnerable communities.
• Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners ($75,000) – to develop a shelter plan for Wakulla and Franklin counties.
• Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners ($75,000) – to identify and analyze potential hazards and evaluate the existing conditions of the physical, social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities for the County.

DEO is the governor-designated state authority responsible for administering all U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) long-term recovery funds awarded to the state. Rebuild Florida uses federal funding for Florida’s long-term recovery efforts from the devastating impacts of natural disasters. For more information, visit RebuildFlorida.gov.

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