TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Many Pinellas County residents have been displaced from their homes since Hurricane Helene hit more than 100 days ago. Some have nowhere else to go, forcing them to stay in damaged and unfinished homes until the county gives them the permits to rebuild.

News Channel 8 took these concerns to federal leaders to get some answers.

Officials with Pinellas County say the recovery process is happening at various stages of government, but federal leaders are shifting the responsibility back onto the county.
As the month grows colder, homeowners are growing impatient waiting on permits to rebuild wanting to know who they can hold accountable.
“We need ten times more the amount of people to get these claims and permits through and we need a plan for the next,” said Crystal Beach resident Jill Grodin. “They need to really coordinate that properly with the state and federal government.”

Pinellas County officials say residents who need a permit can get one as soon as today, if your flood damage was less than 12 inches.
“If you had more than 12 inches in your home you have to go through the substantial damage process. Whether you’ve got a letter or not, you can start the process of talking with a contractor and building that estimate of how much it is going to cost to get your house back in order,’ said David Connor, Public Information manager at Pinellas County.

Connor shares that the county has approved more than 1,800 permits with 142 still in review.

But even with those efforts, residents in Pinellas are questioning who should be held accountable – the county, the state, or the federal government?
“I had my office putting out information directly from FEMA. The cities can authorize permitting, do not let them tell you it is up to FEMA, do not let them tell you it is up to the state. It is literally up to the cities,” said U.S. Representative Anna Paulina-Luna.

Luna, whose own home insurance claim was denied after the recent hurricanes.

“I know it can be a headache our home was also impacted, and our insurance claim was denied so we know firsthand what it is like to go through that for residents in Pinellas County and Hillsborough County,” said U.S. Rep Luna.

Luna adds, while her team is happy to help direct concerned residents, it’s up to the county to act.

“That is your home, you can get the permits through the city, and if they are not doing their jobs, make your voices heard,” said U.S. Rep. Luna.

While residents can apply for permits now, most are more concerned about the time it takes to get action from the county.
“As we approach month 4 after these storms, we know a lot of people really want to get their lives back, back in order, back into their homes. The process does take time and there are a lot of moving pieces,” said Connor.
Pinellas county officials remind folks they can text “Recover” to 888 777 to get real time updates on future relief programs.