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No relief for renters, mom lives in hotel room post floods
The City of Palm Bay announced a relief program that assists homeowners with necessary repair costs after last week's flooding. The program however does not include renters like Deidre King Seres. Seres is a single mother from Palm Bay and she admits that she doesn't have the means to rebuild.
PALM BAY, Fla. - Rescued from rising floodwaters on a Johnboat, a Palm Bay single mother is now living in a hotel with her daughter and two dogs after flash floods destroyed their rental home.
She has no idea how she will rebuild after losing everything and still having to keep a roof over her head.
Palm Bay flood displacement
What we know:
Flash floods submerged the rental home where Deidre King Seres lived with her daughter and their two dogs, leaving them with no timeline for when repairs will finish.
City officials announced a new program Thursday to help low-income homeowners pay for flood damage. The program covers necessary repairs to protect a home's safety and structural integrity, including insurance deductibles, weatherproofing, water extraction, removal of damaged materials, emergency plumbing and electrical work, and temporary structural stabilization. Homeowners can submit an application on the city’s website to see if they qualify.
Renters excluded from aid
The other side:
The City of Palm Bay Disaster Relief Program requires applicants to have owned their home for a year, hold a homestead exemption and stay up to date on mortgage, property tax and utility payments. Because King Seres rents her home, she does not qualify for the assistance and is pleading for state and federal resources to mobilize in Central Florida.
Palm Bay survivor reaction
What they're saying:
King Seres recounted making sure her family and pets were rescued first during the flooding.
The single mother "wanted to make sure they got on the john boat first," King Seres said.
She added that the lack of insurance payouts and personal funds leaves her uncertain about how to recover.
"We have nothing anymore, and I don’t know how to get out of the mess. I don’t know how to rebuild this time. I don’t have any means to rebuild this time, so we’re just doing the best that we can," King Seres said. "We just don't know how we're going to rebuild. Insurance isn’t paying for anything."
Calling for outside help, King Seres admitted the difficulty of asking for support. "We need them here," King Seres said. "I don’t have any means. I’ve never received child support. I’ve never received government assistance. I’m embarrassed to have to ask anyone for help."
How you can help
What you can do:
This mother has started a go fund me to help her start recovery. You can learn more by clicking here.
Central Florida flood recovery
What we don't know:
Officials have not announced whether any city, state or federal financial assistance programs will be created specifically for displaced renters in Palm Bay. It is also unclear how many total families were forced into hotels by the flooding or when damaged rental properties will be safe for tenants to return.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 35 News Reporter Esther Bower, who interviewed displaced Palm Bay resident Deidre King Seres, as well as a city of Palm Bay announcement detailing its new homeowner flood recovery program.