Tampa City Council to consider $3M plan to aide hurricane victims
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa City Council is considering a $3 million plan to help residents like Belina Trask, who was affected by the hurricanes, with mortgage assistance.

It’s 2025 and Trask is still fighting to make her Forest Hills house a home again.

“Half the house flooded,” she said.

So, like everyone else, Trask went to FEMA for help.

“We had an inspector come out here,” she said. “He did everything.”

“He wrote everything, and we thought everything was going to be great,” Trask continued.

“Then, we get news from FEMA that everything is basically denied,” she explained. “We got a whopping $278.”

It’s a story far too common in Tampa Bay, as thousands of people like Trask are left piecing their lives together one dollar at a time.

News Channel 8 reporter Nicole Rogers asked Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, “What is the city doing to make these people whole again?”

“The city is doing a financial assistance program,” he responded. “It’s about $3 million that’s being budgeted for at this time to help families (who) are lower income, working class or middle-class families with mortgage assistance.”

Viera said this $3 million won’t solve everyone’s problems but is a step in the right direction.

“Of course the city’s finances are limited, but my view is we should do everything we can do with the understanding and the idea that if it was us going through that, we would want to make sure we provide this assistance,” Viera said.

The Tampa City Council will vote on this plan on Jan 23.

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