September 1, 2023
Public Policy Update
Hello everyone. The hope of a quiet hurricane season ended early Wednesday morning when Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach in Florida’s Big Bend region. It ended up coming ashore as a strong category 3 storm, causing significant destruction and flooding throughout the state.
For a comprehensive list of resources that are available to help you recover and rebuild, please visit our hurricane resource webpage. There you will find information on the latest disaster updates, housing help, legal questions, and more. Our hurricane resource center also has a link to the Florida Realtors Disaster Relief Fund, which is designed to assist Realtors and their employees as well as local associations and staff who experienced damage to their primary residences or offices caused by natural disasters. If you are on the fence about requesting aid, I highly encourage you to watch this brief video from 2023 Florida Realtors president Mike McGraw.
The governor’s office and representatives of the state’s emergency response units have been issuing daily updates on the status of their disaster recovery efforts. As of today, the federal government has approved Florida’s request for a Major Declaration for Hurricane Idalia, allowing for the reimbursement of debris removal and authorizing individual assistance for those impacted by the storm in seven counties: Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor. Additional counties may be approved in the coming days after the completion of ongoing damage assessments.
Power restoration efforts have been underway for impacted counties. According to the governor’s office, there are over 482,216 accounts that have been restored, and 85,000 accounts remaining without power that linemen are currently in the field working to restore. Additionally, Duke Energy announced they will have 95% of all customers in Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, and Suwannee Counties who can safely receive power by tonight.
The governor’s Executive Order that establishes a state of emergency in 49 counties can be found here. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Emergency Order that delays the September 30th license renewal deadline to October 25th can be found here.
There is a host of additional information contained in the governor’s daily updates so please head here for the latest. These updates include information from every state agency involved in the recovery effort as well as a detailed breakdown of the resources that have been deployed to help Floridians in the wake of the storm.
Florida Realtors Participates in Statewide Affordable Housing Conference
|
Florida Realtors Public Policy Representative Murphy Kennedy (center) sits on a panel during the 2023 Statewide Affordable Housing Conference
|
Prior to Hurricane Idalia creating havoc in the state, our very own Murphy Kennedy was down in Orlando for the Florida Housing Coalition’s 2023 Statewide Affordable Housing Conference. She was invited to be part of a panel of speakers for the Homeownership Forum: Increasing Opportunities in a Challenging Market. During the panel, Murphy got to discuss the specifics of some of these challenges (rising interest rates, limited supply, elevated home prices, etc.) as well as potential solutions contained in the new Live Local Act. The Florida Housing Coalition always hosts a fantastic conference but this year felt extra special given all the new strategies and funding contained in the Live Local Act.
And yes, in case you were wondering, Murphy did make it back to Tallahassee in time to secure her house ahead of Hurricane Idalia’s visit.
Florida Disaster Fund Activated
The Florida Disaster Fund was activated this week in advance of Hurricane Idalia. The fund is a component of the Volunteer Florida Foundation, Florida’s official 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports volunteerism, community service, and disaster recovery. To donate, click here. Donations made to the Volunteer Florida Foundation are tax-deductible.
State Mobilizes Hurricane Idalia One-Stop Business Resource Center in Horseshoe Beach
The Florida Department of Commerce, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Citizens Property Insurance and Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are co-locating business resources for communities impacted by Hurricane Idalia. Located at The Shrimp Boat 110 Co Rd 351, Horseshoe Beach, FL 32648, business owners and employees can get in-person assistance with recovery resources starting at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
FloridaCommerce and SBDC will assist business owners with completing the Florida Business Damage Assessment Survey and applying for Florida’s Emergency Bridge Loan, a short-term no-interest loan to help bridge the gap between now and when other loans become available.
DBPR is offering resources related to licensing to help businesses like hotels and restaurants reopen safely. Helpful information about protecting your home or business against Unlicensed Activity will also be available.
Citizens Property Insurance will be onsite to assist policyholders in initiating the claims process or to answer any questions.
Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program Activated
The state has activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, making $20 million available for businesses impacted by Hurricane Idalia. Florida small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to go here to apply for the program. Businesses in the following counties, including sole proprietors, are eligible to apply:
Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla counties.
The program, administered by FloridaCommerce, provides short-term, zero-interest loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury or physical damage due to Hurricane Idalia. Interested applicants can apply now through October 25, 2023, or until all available funds are expended.
Eligible small businesses may apply for loans of up to $50,000 through the program. Loans approved through the Emergency Bridge Loan Program are intended to “bridge the gap” between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer term recovery funding, such as federally or commercially available loans, insurance claims, or other resources. Loans made under this program are short-term, zero-interest, personal loans using State of Florida funds. They are not grants and loans must be repaid by the approved applicant.
National Flood Insurance Program Resources Available
The state has compiled a list of resources available for those who have coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and who might be affected by flood damage from Hurricane Idalia. Managed by FEMA, NFIP offers flood insurance to help mitigate the impact of flooding on businesses, property owners, and renters. Individuals who have flood insurance policies through FEMA and its federal flood insurance program are encouraged to reach out to their insurance agents for more information about filing a claim. Consumers may also reach FEMA directly at 1-800-621-3362.
Important Storm Recovery Tips and Resources from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program:
General information on the NFIP:
Filing Your Claim:
Recovering from a flood:
For insurance questions, Floridians can reach out to the Department of Financial Services at Consumer.Services@myfloridacfo.com.
Please reach out to us at publicpolicy@floridarealtors.org with any questions you may have.