WUSF | By Gabriella Paul

Published February 9, 2024 at 5:00 AM EST

Resilient SRQ is the newly created county program tasked with administering more than $200 million in Hurricane Ian recovery funds from the federal government. Its first program launched this week.

Sarasota County this week began the process of distributing more than $200 million in federal funds for long-term recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian.

The money is coming to the county through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the form of a disaster recovery block grant. It is designed to address the unmet needs that persist in an area after a hurricane when other funding sources, like FEMA and SBA, have been exhausted.

Sarasota County leaders started a program called Resilient SRQ to administer the $201.5 million.

“HUD is really … the last funding source to come in and help with some of the most vulnerable populations that may not have been able to recover,” Resilient SRQ program manager Laurel Varnell said.

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