Florida county wants to buy homes from residents, demolish them for flood control

By Pamela Comme

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    VOLUSIA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — It’s been months since floodwaters took over Donna Rooney’s home in DeLand. She and her husband had to get out fast.

“We had about four feet in our house,” said Rooney. “It was totally condemned within that. As soon as they were able to come in, the city came in and condemned the property.”

The county now has plans to buy 50 homes like that one and tear them down. Just days ago, county leaders signed off on an action plan for $130 million in federal aid to help Volusia recover from Hurricane Milton and to prepare for the next big one.

Now, it’s up to HUD to give final approval. Volusia Chair Jeff Brower said $20 million of that money is set aside to buy out homes that keep flooding.

“It’s an important tool to be able to buy a property that floods every year and then hopefully make that an effective stormwater retention,” said Brower.

Deltona townhouse development on pauseDeltona townhouse development on pause after residents raise flooding concerns The county expects demand to be high, but they’re targeting neighborhoods that took the worst hits.

“We can’t go out and buy everybody’s home that floods,” said Brower. “But we’re looking at areas that are, that are repeatedly flooding where, where homes are just, they’re just destroyed.”

And Donna Rooney is hoping to be one of the lucky ones.

“That’s our priority,” she added. “That’s what we wanted from the beginning. We have no intention of rebuilding or refurbishing this home.”

We asked the county about next steps, and in an email, they said:

“Volusia County is in the process of drafting policies for the voluntary buyout component of its Hurricane Milton Homeowner Repair and Recovery Program, which is funded through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) initiative,” said Clayton Jackson, a spokesperson for the county. “In accordance with federal grant requirements, applicants will have to meet income eligibility guidelines established by HUD. Additional details about the application process and eligibility criteria will be available after HUD approves the county’s Action Plan.”

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