MANATEE COUNTY, FL (January 28, 2025) – Just months after devastating hurricanes ripped through the region, the Manatee Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) received some very welcome news―and significant funding―to rebuild and recover.

Manatee County has been awarded $252,711,000 from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to rebuild disaster-impacted areas and provide crucial seed money to start the long-term recovery process through the Community Development Block Grant―Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) program.

“This is big,” said Grants Administration Division Manager Michele Davis. “This is the largest grant that Manatee County has received.”

The emphasis for this money is low- and moderate-income areas. Funding supports the most impacted and distressed areas in the following ways:

• Disaster relief
• Long-term recovery
• Restoration of infrastructure
• Economic revitalization
• Storm-hardening and mitigation

To secure the funding, Manatee County will identify projects that will help in a variety of ways, including restoration of areas to pre-disaster status (for projects not eligible for FEMA) and to harden infrastructure against future storms. Non-profit and municipality partners are encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for the CDBG-DR funding.

“This is a good first step,” said Commission Chair George Kruse. “I look forward to seeing that project list.”

Commissioners and staff discussed potential uses for the grants, including accelerating watershed management plans, and aiding local municipalities within the county.

“Cities are our constituents,” said District 3 Commissioner Tal Siddique. “I look forward to seeing some of those projects come forward.”

“Some focus needs to go on the City of Bradenton and their wastewater systems,” said District 2 Commissioner Amanda Ballard. “I would also like to see some focus on Pearce Drain.”

Staff will compile and present the list of eligible projects for the BOCC to prioritize for funding. Approved projects will be published in an Action Plan on a designated website―with a target date of March 22―which will be posted prominently for 30 days for public comment before being submitted to HUD for approval.