ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – More than eight months after Hurricane Helene devastated Florida’s west coast, over 1,200 residents near St. Petersburg remain displaced, living in temporary shelters, packed in with relatives or in unstable conditions with no clear path to permanent housing, according to city officials.
As the crisis persists, residents’ frustration is mounting over the slow pace of recovery efforts and growing concerns about why so many remain without permanent housing.
Hurricane Helene caused an estimated $160 billion in damage, according to AccuWeather, leaving behind a long road to recovery for communities across the region.
Sophie Craft, a Redington Beach resident, described the aftermath as “complete destruction” and “soul-crushing.”
“We were not able to cross the bridge to the barrier islands where my house was, so we waited anxiously for days until they allowed us over,” she said. “We got around four feet of water in our house, which destroyed every piece of furniture we owned. It also destroyed most of the belongings we had left inside.”
Craft and her neighbors spent days clearing flood-damaged belongings and gutting their homes. Progress has been slow.
“Due to permitting delays, we didn’t start drywall installation until late March,” she said. “Costs, labor shortages and material scarcity have all made it harder to rebuild. In the meantime, we still have lives to lead, jobs and classes to attend and we still must find somewhere to live.”
Despite the difficulties, Craft said she found strength in community support.
“Friends, professors and classmates helped me greatly,” she said. “While it was devastating, the support along the way made a big difference.”
Permitting remains a major bottleneck in the recovery process, according to Donald Tyre, building official with St. Petersburg’s Construction Services and Permitting Division. As of March, nearly 8,500 post-disaster emergency permits had been processed, Tyre said.
However, delays tied to Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations, incomplete damage documentation and staffing shortages have continued to slow approvals.
“We’ve hired temporary staff and waived permit fees to speed up the process,” Tyre said. “But the complexity of requirements and inconsistent reviews remain challenging.”
University of Florida student Jake Rickert, a Davis Island resident, said the ongoing housing struggles took a toll on his mental health and academics.“Losing my belongings was stressful, and it made focusing on school really difficult,” Rickert said.
While he says he’s grateful things weren’t worse for him and his family, the experience still upsets him from time to time, wondering if it will happen again. Over the past nine months, Rickert said he has managed to cope by reminding himself that, despite the loss of his belongings, he still had what mattered most: his family.
Affordable housing remains tight, according to Larry Gonzales, vice president of Housing Choice Voucher at the St. Petersburg Housing Authority.
“Rental availability has improved somewhat, but prices have increased about $95 on average,” Gonzales said. “Income limits and infrastructure issues still block many from qualifying for assistance.”
The city’s Sunrise St. Pete initiative aims to address these challenges through residential recovery and affordable housing expansion, complemented by programs like Shelters of Hope and Housing Opportunities For All.
Federal officials say they recognize the scale of the need.
“FEMA has provided significant housing support through programs like Transitional Sheltering Assistance, rental and repair aid and direct temporary housing,” said Lindsay Tozer, a public affairs specialist with the agency. “But the need remains substantial, especially in areas like St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay where housing demand already exceeded supply before the storms.”
Thousands have received aid according to FEMA, which continues to collaborate with state and local governments to address unmet needs. More than 900 personnel, according to Tozer, remain deployed in Florida, supporting case management, appeals, and housing coordination.
Tozer said affordable housing shortages, contractor delays, documentation issues and insurance disputes are among the biggest recovery obstacles.
“FEMA’s housing programs are temporary by law,” she said. “Our goal is to help survivors transition to safe, permanent housing.”
She added that FEMA remains embedded in Florida and committed to long-term recovery.
“Recovery isn’t over until every survivor has a safe place to call home,” Tozer said.