CORTEZ – A community meeting for residents to learn about Manatee County’s post-hurricane recovery assistance program, Lasting Manatee, is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 6-7 p.m. at the Old Cortez Fire Station, 4523 123rd St. Court W.
An open question and answer session with Manatee County staff is planned. Discussions will center around home repairs, replacements and buyouts, infrastructure repair and mitigation projects, eligibility and how to apply for assistance.
The application process for individual assistance is expected to begin in early 2026. At that time, individuals may submit their needs for disaster recovery activities on their property.
Lasting Manatee is the county’s program for the allocation of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In January, Manatee County was identified as a direct recipient of $252,711,000 in CDBG-DR funds to address unmet needs from the 2024 hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
HUD requires that 70% of all CDBG-DR funds benefit low- and moderate-income populations.
Lasting Manatee is currently accepting suggestions for potential projects from county partners, social service organizations, nonprofits, community groups and business organizations.
“CDBG-DR funds focus on restoring and rebuilding infrastructure, housing and community facilities. Examples include new construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of housing; public facilities and improvements; economic revitalization; hazard mitigation and resilience projects; and public services (limited to 15% of allocation),” according to the Lasting Manatee website.
Interested individuals may sign up for email notifications and check for updates at the Lasting Manatee website.
For accessibility questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to attend the meeting, contact Carmine DeMilo, ADA compliance coordinator at 941-748-4501 ext. 6016 or carmine.demilo@mymanatee.org at least three business days before the meeting.
