Program Overview
The Rebuilding for Tomorrow Infrastructure Program aims to rebuild and strengthen Hillsborough County public systems damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Hillsborough County, together with city subrecipients (Plant City, Tampa, and Temple Terrace), will directly manage a portfolio of public improvement investments to fix known challenges, reduce flooding, and prepare the County for future storms. Projects will repair damaged public systems or mitigate future storm impacts.
Key Focus Areas
The County’s Rebuilding for Tomorrow projects will focus on public infrastructure improvements across three key areas:
Residential Areas
Efforts will focus on fixing and upgrading infrastructure systems that support homes—especially in areas hit hardest by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Projects may include repairing or replacing stormwater, water, sewer, and roadway systems that directly affect housing safety and residential areas, as well as providing upgrades that improve livability and resilience by reducing flood riskand protecting homes from stronger storms.
Business Areas
Investments will aim to repair, improve, or replace public infrastructure systems that serve commercial areas—like drainage, utilities, and access roads—to help businesses reopen faster, protect jobs, and stabilize the local economy after storms. Projects may include upgrading roads and utility systems that serve clusters of small businesses or improving drainage systems near business districts to reduce storm-related shutdowns.
General Systems
Broader inrfastructure restoration investments will address public facilities and systems damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which may include roads, bridges, utilities, stormwater systems, and other critical public systems across the County. These investments will aim to restore essential community functions, mitigate both localized and area-wide flooding challenges, and reduce future risk to the County’s public facility systems.
Process and Timeline
Project selection
The County and its three subrecipients, the City of Tampa, Temple Terrace, and Plant City, will select and implement CDBG-DR infrastructure projects. These municipal projects are expected to require the full CDBG-DR Action Plan allocation for infrastructure, but will be monitored over the grant's five-year term in case there are opportunities for other eligible uses.
All projects will be brought before the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners for approval based on whether they comprise activities eligible for HUD CDBG-DR funding, align with HUD national objectives, and address key concerns for the County and its subrecipients, including:
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Storm damage and need: what was impacted and what is most urgent
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Community benefit: how many people and neighborhoods will be helped
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Risk: where future harm is most likely
All projects must align with federal statutes, regulations, and HUD requirements for disaster recovery and mitigation programs and be consistent with the County’s CDBG-DR Action Plan (Action Plan). Key project selection requirements include connections to the storms or a focus on mitigation and resiliency, as well as avoiding duplication of benefits. These requirements are outlined in HUD’s Allocation Announcement Notice, HUD’s Universal Notice, and subsequent HUD memorandums amending the Universal Notice.
Project timeline
The timeline for the County’s and Cities’ public improvement projects will be updated regularly on this site, with the first projects expected to begin construction in Fall 2026.