Mixed reactions as Shores Acres awaits ‘Elevate Florida’ decisions

The Brief

  • Shore Acres residents packed into a community meeting hoping for answers — and for relief from the state’s new home-elevation program.
  • More than 550 homeowners in Shore Acres applied for the state’s pilot program, Elevate Florida, but only about 20% of applicants from the neighborhood are expected to be accepted or placed on a wait list.
  • Residents are expected to receive notifications within the next two weeks.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. It’s hurricane season again, but in one of St. Pete’s hardest-hit neighborhoods, recovery from Hurricane Helene is still far from complete. In Shore Acres, residents packed into a community meeting hoping for answers — and for relief from the state’s new home-elevation program.

The backstory:

More than 550 homeowners in Shore Acres applied for the state’s pilot program, Elevate Florida, which helps raise homes out of flood zones. But state officials said only about 20% of applicants from the neighborhood — between 100 and 150 homes — are expected to be accepted or placed on a wait list.

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