(WSVN) - A helping hand is coming for people whose lives, homes and communities were shattered by Hurricane Irma.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday help is coming for the Florida Keys in the form of hundreds of millions of dollars as the area continues to recover.
“Shortly, Monroe County will be receiving $21 million from the Florida Division of Emergency Management for reimbursement for Hurricane Irma debris removal,” said DeSantis. “Those costs are extensive, and they put a lot of stress on our local communities.”
The funds will reimburse the county for money spent on cleanup efforts after Irma.
DeSantis also announced another $140 million will be allocated to build affordable housing in areas hit by the storm.
“This has been a problem in recent years anyway, but the recent storms, Irma and Michael, have exacerbated the problem,” said DeSantis, “and so this will be an important step in the recovery process.”
At least $35 million of the $140 million will go to Monroe County.
Affordable housing has been difficult to find following Hurricane Irma. Some families have even been forced to live on boats, while others are living in tents and mobile homes.
“I feel like we’re the bastard child of Florida because we seem to have been forgotten,” said Florida Keys resident Sharon Baron.
“To see it so sparse and all the devastation, it’s hard to wrap my mind around it now,” added Florida Keys resident Terry Baron.
Until now, many have been left in the dark.
“Absurd that there is no communication with the boaters,” said Florida Keys resident Kenny Stanley.
“It really saddens me,” added Florida Keys resident Monica Ybarbo.
DeSantis is hoping the influx of funds will help families build affordable homes.
“If you look at the amount of money that just Monroe County would get out of that, that’s significant resources to a problem that is very acute even to this day here, so I’m glad that we’re able to take these steps.”
The $21 million reimbursement money could arrive as early as next week.
Funds for the housing will be available starting July 2.
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