Meet Our Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund Grantee Partners

CDP’s Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund raised $1.4 million. Grants focused on housing, particularly for vulnerable people and people experiencing homelessness.

Contractors pack up materials and gear after installing fiber-reinforced plastic sheeting on a Hurricane Irma-damaged roof in Sebring, Florida (U.S. Army photo/Kerry Solan)

Centro Campesino received $150,000 for the pilot development of a housing collaborative in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Additional funding is being sought by the grantee through Enterprise Community Partners and NeighborWorks America. Centro Campesino was also awarded a second grant for $200,000 to support home repairs for minority and vulnerable populations in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties who are still in need following Hurricane Irma.

Citrus County Long-Term Recovery Group received $150,000 through their fiscal agent, Daystar Life Center, a Catholic Charities affiliate, to hire one part-time staff person to handle grant administration and construction costs to conduct home repairs. For this grant, CDP partnered with Volunteer Florida who will contribute an additional $100,000.

Florida Housing Coalition (FHC) was awarded $36,000 for staff and system costs associated with conducting weekly update calls during the next year on long-term housing needs in Florida, with special attention to Hurricane Irma demands. For this grant, CDP partnered with Fannie Mae who will contribute an additional $10,000.

During the second round of grants from the CDP Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund, FHC received an additional $100,000, in continuation of grant work from Wells Fargo Foundation and National Low-Income Housing Coalition that allowed FHC to evaluate the availability of housing recovery resources and to build a strategic framework for housing providers to escalate the development of affordable housing in Central Florida.

Florida Keys Community Land Trust was awarded $125,000, to preserve and enhance the way of life for the workforce of Monroe County, Florida. Funding from CDP will focus on rebuilding affordable and efficient houses that will meet and exceed all wind and flood codes.

The Heart of Florida United Way received $250,000 to support the rapid rehousing needs of evacuees from the Caribbean in central Florida. This grant recommendation is the outcome of a New Floridians Action Plan, led by the Florida Housing Coalition. Rapid rehousing, implemented here, was the first action item in the plan.

Miami Beach Community Development Corporation was awarded $75,000, to secure long-term assistance to older adults, formerly homeless, and HIV/AIDS positive groups. This grant seeks to save about 400 affordable housing units in the Miami Beach area.

Monroe County Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) received $50,000 for staff capacity. Securing staff for long-term case management work, including a large focus on housing, is critical to recovery in the Florida Keys. Other funders to this grantee include the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys, Volunteer Florida, United Way of the Florida Keys, The Miami Foundation and the Miami Dolphins Foundation.

During the second round of grants from the CDP Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund, LTRG received an additional $49,917 to provide support to volunteers working on repairs and reconstruction to homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irma.

The NAACP received a $10,000 grant. They used the funds to train and certify representatives from 25 branches of the NAACP Florida State Conference as Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members. The CERT program trains volunteers to prepare for, respond to and recover from the types of disasters that their communities may face. The NAACP CERT members will serve as stewards of civil and human rights, and help support their communities before, during and after disasters.

Redlands Christian Migrant Association (Immokalee Unmet Needs Coalition) was awarded $245,000. Serving as the fiscal agent, Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) will work with Immokalee Unmet Needs Coalition and Mennonite Disaster Services to provide housing replacement for four-six families whose homes were destroyed or substantially damaged by Hurricane Irma.