Pensacola Council Rejects Moving Sally Housing Funds to Port Infrastructure

Council Rejects Plan to Shift Hurricane Sally Relief Funds Away from Housing

Pensacola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Pensacola City Council voted down a controversial proposal Tuesday night to redirect $5.8 million in Hurricane Sally disaster relief funds away from housing repairs to Port of Pensacola infrastructure projects.

The money, approved by council in May 2024, was intended to help low-income families repair storm damage from the 2020 hurricane. But nearly two years later, not a single homeowner has been assisted.

Deputy City Administrator Amy Miller told council that significant staff turnover in the housing department derailed the program before it could get off the ground. The subject matter expert familiar with the federal grant requirements left the city before submitting required implementation plans to state and federal agencies.

With a March 2027 deadline looming and no extensions expected, Mayor D.C. Reeves' administration proposed reallocating the funds to already-approved disaster recovery projects at the port, including road and rail repairs damaged by Hurricane Sally.

Council Vice President Jen Brahier sharply criticized the lack of communication about the program's struggles. "We weren't allowed that. We were in the 11th hour giving this once again," he said. "I don't know how many times we're at the last minute, got to move now because we're running out of money."

The reallocation failed on a 3-4 vote, with council members directing staff to schedule a workshop within two weeks to explore whether any of the housing program can be salvaged.

More than a dozen residents spoke during public comment, expressing frustration that the city prioritized downtown development projects while disaster relief funds sat unused.