LeeCares Hurricane Ian Housing Recovery Program application deadline May 15

The online application portal and submission of new applications online or in-person for the LeeCares Hurricane Ian Housing Recovery Program will conclude at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 15.

Lee County currently is processing more than 1,300 applications requesting assistance for repairing, reconstructing, elevating or purchasing a home. Lee County and its partners directly contacted more than 62,000 Lee County residents to provide LeeCARES program information.

Funding for the LeeCares housing program comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery allocation to Lee County to address the disaster recovery needs of residents affected by the hurricane.

Programs for which individuals now can apply:

• The Housing Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Elevation program may assist income-eligible property owners to repair, replace and/or elevate property that suffered hurricane damage.
• The Home Purchase Assistance may assist income-eligible home buyers to purchase a qualifying primary residence outside of the flood zone in Lee County.

To view a full list of eligibility requirements and documents needed to apply, visit www.leeflcares.com.

Questions can be emailed to [email protected]. Individuals also can call 239-382-5453.

Once an application is submitted, individuals will be assigned a designated LeeCares case manager to provide updates. If an application is approved, the funding is a grant - not a loan - and does not need to be repaid if applicants comply with the terms of the grant.