NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Pasco County homeowners, whose homes were damaged during hurricanes Idalia, Helene and Milton, are getting some much-needed help from the county.
It’s through the Better Future housing program, which offers help to repair, rebuild or replace homes damaged by last year’s hurricanes. It’s helping one particular family just before the holidays.
“This is such a great program, we want to present you guys with a check for reimbursement,” said Jack Mariano, chair of Pasco Board of County Commissioners.
Outside the West Pasco Government Center, the first Better Future check is presented to the Onishenko family.
“Life after was a little difficult with some of the damage that we had,” said check recipient Steven Entwistle.
The Onishenko’s home was damaged during last year’s hurricanes, requiring them to dip into their own pockets to make repairs, until now.
“Life is expensive, and then, when you have those repairs come in, that’s a monthly payment that just keeps coming in,” said Entwistle. “So now, with this check, it’s 100% covering all that debt, and I don’t need those monthly payments anymore, and I’m much happier.”
The program is made possible through federal funding from the Community Development Block Grant.
“This is going to be a very important program for the people that couldn’t get the work done because they didn’t have the funding,” said Mariano. “Now, other families that couldn’t get in, can get in and get the help to do it direct with us.”
More checks are on the way to other families affected as well.
“We want to show optimism that all the hard work, all the struggles that have gone through, the help that is here now and the team behind us — my fellow commissioners, Yeager and Oakley here, and Starkey and Weightman as well — we are 100% behind this program,” Mariano said. “Confident this is going to help our people get their lives back together, help them recover and live a much better quality of life coming up.”
And to have that money just before the holidays means a little more.
“It helps fund the family again instead of so much going out,” said Entwistle. “So it being right around Christmas was a big miracle, if you ask me.”
A holiday miracle for this family.
All homeowners who sustained damage from the three storms in Pasco County can apply for the Better Future program. However, priority goes to low-income households, seniors and people with disabilities, and residents who have been displaced.
You can learn more information on the Pasco County website.
Calvin Lewis
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