New Polk County program helps families repair storm-damaged homes

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A program that helps families repair and strengthen their homes after disaster strikes, has just launched in Polk County.

Heavy rain from Hurricane Milton caused the roof on George and Diane Flood’s Lakeland home to cave in and leak.

“You got totes catching this water here, or you got pots over here. It was like living way back in the olden days,” said Diane Flood.

Their insurance claim was denied and being on fixed income, they simply could not afford to pay for a new roof.

“It would’ve cost us around $14,000 to get the roof replaced, which is just unrealistic for us because of our health issues and our income,” said George Flood.

The United Way of Central Florida assisted the couple in applying for the Disaster Readiness and Recovery Program.

The pilot program, run by non-profit Rebuilding Together Greater Florida, repairs and strengthens homes for residents who are low-income, elderly, or disabled. The Floods got a new roof at no cost.

As part of the program’s launch, 12 homes in critical need will be repaired. The CEO of Rebuilding Together Greater Florida, Jose Garcia, said the need for disaster recovery efforts in Polk County is great as the area grows rapidly.

“It is very important that we help these homeowners and families to come back after a disaster. Because if not, they feel that they have lost everything. There were losses already in the house but if they don't come back, they lost everything. So, this helps tremendously,” Garcia said.

Garcia said the plan is to open a permanent office in Polk County later this year.

As for the Floods, their new roof could not have come at a better time with the return of hurricane season.

“It took like five days to put the roof on. And now you go around looking for leaks, and there’re no leaks. What a blessing,” said Diane.

Providing essential home repairs to keep families safe and stable.