The Voluntary Home Buyout Program helps homeowners in flood-prone areas of Escambia County sell their properties and relocate to safer locations. The program aims to reduce future flooding risks by purchasing 49 properties in the 100-year floodplain and transforming them into open spaces. This effort enhances public safety and promotes long-term environmental sustainability.
The program is funded by $18.5 million in federal recovery grants allocated to Escambia County, including:
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) - $15.3 million
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided the grants to help Florida recover from Hurricane Sally. These funds are meant to support the implementation of programs that reduce the risk to lives, property, and infrastructure during future disasters.
Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) - $3.2 million
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided these funds to address unmet recovery needs from Hurricane Sally, specifically for low- and moderate-income residents. These funds enable the County to offer additional financial support to qualifying homeowners.
Participation in the Voluntary Home Buyout Program is entirely optional.
To qualify under HMGP, homeowners must:
Own a property in a 100-year floodplain.
Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.
Meet FEMA cost-effectiveness requirements.
To qualify under CDBG-DR, homeowners must:
Meet income requirements established by HUD.
Have owned the property at the time of Hurricane Sally.
Provide evidence that the property was damaged by Hurricane Sally.
To ensure each homeowner receives a fair purchase offer, the county will follow the process outlined below.
To learn more about the program, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Downloadable PDFs
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