PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Homeowners who applied to a state program designed to raise flood-prone homes are still waiting for construction to begin, and a partial federal shutdown may push projects further back.
Elevate Florida is a state-run program administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) that uses federal disaster mitigation funding from FEMA to help homeowners elevate flood-vulnerable homes.
WATCH: Federal shutdown adds new delay to stalled Elevate Florida program
According to program documents dated Feb. 1 and provided to Tampa Bay 28 through email, 3,678 homeowners in Pinellas County applied for the program, and 368 applications were moving forward.
However, zero homes have been elevated in Pinellas County, zero are under construction, and zero projects are scheduled to begin within the next 30 days.
Program materials originally projected construction could begin as early as September 2025, but that timeline has passed.
Contractors and homeowners say they completed engineering work and site testing only to see projects stall or move slowly.
Albert Jasuwan, owner of JAS Builders, says his company has a signed contract with the program but no work has been assigned.
“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “I thought [Elevate Florida] was great. I even convinced some of my own personal friends to go with [the program] and to not use their personal money.”
Others, including Bob Gunsaullus, say they are waiting to be paid for preliminary work completed during the review process.
Gunsaullus, owner of R H Gun LLC, says his company completes geotechnical reports after soil borings are done to determine whether a home needs pilings or another foundation support system before it can be elevated.
He says his firm has completed about 40 reports since last June, but has not been paid roughly $23,000 for the work.
He says his company has contacted FDEM seeking clarification, but has not received a response.
Tampa Bay 28 has also reached out to FDEM regarding the program's status, but has not yet received an explanation.
The state has previously said the program’s timeline depends on FEMA approvals and federal funding obligations. In a Feb. 13 email, a program contractor acknowledged the program has not received project awards from FEMA.
With federal approvals still pending, delays could continue, and now, those delays may deepen under the partial federal government shutdown.
On Sunday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced emergency operating measures during the ongoing shutdown.
The department said FEMA has entered emergency operating status and is scaling back to bare minimum, life-saving operations only.
According to the announcement, non-emergency recovery work is paused, project formulation and long-term recovery efforts are on hold, and administrative processing that does not pose an immediate threat to life or safety is suspended.
FEMA confirmed to Tampa Bay 28 that elevation projects, including those under programs like Elevate Florida, fall under non-emergency recovery work.
That means federal review and funding decisions tied to the program are currently paused until federal appropriations are restored.
As a result, families hoping to rebuild their homes before the next hurricane season are still waiting.
Jasuwan hopes FEMA will reconsider and that both the federal and state governments will find a way to get Elevate Florida back on track.
“They’ve got to understand, this is an emergency. These people need funding, and they need to get their homes up before another hurricane hits. It’s just a matter of time,” he said.
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