As a result of Hurricane Wilma, the Town of Davie, in partnership with the State Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and Broward County, received a grant funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the 2005 CDBG Disaster Recovery Initiative (DRI).
The grant covers multiple programs under the DRI, and the centerpiece of the Town’s recovery strategy is Davie’s Mobile Home Repair/Replacement Program. This Program is designed to assist income-eligible Hurricane victims who suffered damage to their owner-occupied mobile homes as a result of Hurricane Wilma. Up to 75 Davie families will receive replacement units that are new, fully furnished, wind-storm rated mobile homes.
The Town contracted with Adopt a Hurricane Family, Inc., (AHF) a not-for-profit emergency housing provider, to administer the Mobile Home Repair/Replacement Program. This agency has extensive experience working with FEMA and has successfully re-housed numerous hurricane victims.
The Mobile Home Repair/Replacement Program provides grants of up to $25,000 to repair wind-storm rated mobile homes (post 1992). If the mobile home is not wind-storm rated (an older model), or if the cost to repair it is greater than the value of the existing mobile home, a new mobile home will be installed to replace the damaged or deteriorating unit.
The majority of the homes have already been allocated; however, Adopt a Hurricane Family (AHF) is maintaining a waiting list of income-eligible Davie Hurricane Wilma victims. Preference is given to those households that are determined to be in the greatest need based upon the family’s income and the extent of damage to their mobile home. Interested Davie residents may contact AHF at 954-587-0160.
The first family to take ownership of their new mobile home was Sean and Lea Hoyt and their seven year old son, Sean II. On Friday, July 11, they were presented with the keys to their new home in the Palm Haven Mobile Home Park.
Shirley Taylor Prakelt, Davie’s Housing & Community Development Director and staff were there along with Craig Vanderlaan from Adopt a Hurricane Family Inc., and others who were involved with this worthwhile project to welcome the family to their new home.
For more information please contact Shirley Taylor-Prakelt at 954-797-1199.
Pictured in photo from l to r:
(left of stairs) Front row: Sean Hoyt II,
Second row: Adopt a Family Co-Founder Lisa Vanderlaan, AHF Case Manager Ruthie Aliby
Third row: AHF Board Member Al Uritis, AHF Project Manager Mike Smith, AHF Executive Director & Co-Founder Craig Vanderlaan.
(on stairs) Sean and Lea Hoyt
(right of stairs) Davie Neighborhood Coordinator Giovanni Moss, Davie Housing & Community Development Director Shirley Taylor-Prakelt, Davie H & CD Programs Specialist Burton Spiwak, and Davie Neighborhood Resource Specialist Glenda Bonaventura.
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