FAQs
Transform386 is a Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG- DR) program, an allocation of funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to rebuild disaster-impacted areas when a president declares a major disaster and there are significant unmet needs for long-term recovery in the community.
Volusia County received these funds to support the long-term recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian focusing on low- to moderate- income persons.
Funding for Transform386 comes from the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, an allocation directly from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist in the long-term recovery efforts of Hurricane Ian.
At this time, Volusia County is NOT accepting any applications for funding. The county is required to complete a number of pre-award steps before it can launch any projects and programs.
Individual programs and projects will not begin until December 2023/January 2024 at the earliest based on requirements from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Updates will be posted on the Program's webpage, https://www.transform386.org.
Volusia County Government is the grantee for the Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Program is being managed by the Office of Recovery and Resiliency.
You can contact the program staff directly at transform386@volusia.org or 386-943-7029.
At this time, Volusia County will not be able to commit to specific projects or programs, but public participation is strongly encouraged during formulation of the Public Action Plan which will occur in the coming months.
To receive updates and provide your input on any unmet needs including your personal impacts from Hurricane Ian, you can fill out the interest form at https://www.transform386.org. Projects and programs will not be started until after both HUD and the Volusia County Council approve the County’s Action Plan, which is expected to take place in December 2023. Funds will be used across Volusia County with a primary focus on supporting low- to moderate- income persons.
Transform386 will create projects and programs that address the unmet needs of Volusia County residents following Hurricane Ian with a focus on low-to moderate- income persons.
Transform386 must meet requirements set by HUD including meeting a HUD national objective (listed below) and having a direct or indirect tie back to Hurricane Ian:
- Benefit people from low to moderate economic resources.
- Assist in the prevention or elimination of slum or blight.
- Meet an urgent need.
In addition, 70 percent of funds must be used to benefit low- to moderate- income persons and 15 percent of funds must be used for mitigation related activities and are not required to have a tie back to Hurricane Ian.
Generally, programs fall into the following categories: housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, and mitigation. More information on the CDBG-DR allocations and requirements can be found on the federal register website.
The Public Action Plan detailing how the county intends to spend the $328.9 million is due to HUD in the fall of 2023 and HUD is expected to make a decision by December 2023/January 2024. Following HUD’s approval, the county can begin designing and implementing the projects and programs outlined in the Public Action Plan.
To obtain the funds, Volusia County is required to conduct an unmet needs assessment and receive public input before submitting an Action Plan to HUD detailing the proposed use of funds, including criteria for eligibility and how the use of these funds will address disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure, housing, and economic revitalization within Volusia County. Funding must also be primarily used to benefit low- to moderate- income persons.
At this time, the county is not accepting applications for funding, but will be assessing the need for programs where there may be an opportunity to apply for assistance. When these programs are developed and applications are ready to be accepted, the public will be notified and information will be posted on our website, through news releases and social media.
HUD determined the amount of disaster recovery funds based on data from FEMA and other federal sources.
A Public Action Plan is an outline which states how allocated funds will be used to address housing, economic revitalization, infrastructure, and mitigation programs. The Action Plan must also address how these programs serve an unmet need in the community.
Prior to receiving the funds, HUD must approve how the county plans on using the funds. Public participation is strongly encouraged during the formation of the Public Action Plan and during a formal public comment period. To give feedback on the process and be notified about upcoming opportunities to participate, visit our website at https://www.transform386.org and fill out the Interest and Unmet Needs Survey.
Transform386 funding supplements other Federal recovery assistance programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Transform386 funds cannot duplicate funding available from federal, state, or local governments, private and non-profit organizations, insurance proceeds or any other source of assistance.