Orange County program restores Apopka man’s hurricane-damaged home

The storm wrecked his Apopka home, damaging the roof and causing extensive water damage. A short time later, Turner suffered a health setback that left him using a wheelchair.

For three years, Turner remained in his damaged home, catching rainwater in buckets and struggling to navigate soggy, mold-damaged living conditions.

Then he learned about Orange County Recovers while watching the news.

Through the program, his roof, flooring and walls were replaced. His kitchen was completely renovated with new cabinets, countertops and appliances. Beyond the necessary storm repairs, his home was also made wheelchair accessible with wider corridors and doorways, along with a new accessible shower.

In February 2026, after staying with family during the renovation, Turner was handed the keys to his newly renovated home.

“I feel like I won the lottery,” he said. “This has made me whole again.”

Funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery Program, Orange County Recovers provides grants to low-to-moderate-income homeowners with unresolved damage from Hurricanes Ian and Milton. The program helps fund repairs, renovations or replacement of storm-damaged homes. The program is available to homeowners throughout Orange County, including those who live within its municipalities.

The application portal remains open at OrangeCountyRecovers.com.

To date, Orange County Recovers has completed repairs on 33 hurricane-damaged homes, with 60 additional homes moving forward with construction and another 218 applications in the pipeline.

For the team behind Orange County Recovers, those numbers represent more than homes repaired or projects underway. Each represents a homeowner working to regain the safety, stability and independence a storm took away. Turner’s experience is one example of that impact.

“Being able to see Turner come back to a fully rehabbed home and return to self-sufficiency has been a great story for the Orange County Recovers program,” said Sherry Julien, project manager with Orange County’s Housing & Community Development Division. “Rehab is a passion of mine. I’ve done this for 27 years with the County, and so I get to see behind the scenes, the before-and-after pictures. To be able to see the homeowner get the keys to their totally renovated home brings them to tears and me to tears. It’s great to see these families restored.”

For Turner, that restoration is something he experiences every day. On a recent Tuesday morning, he rolled through his newly renovated home, moving easily through spaces redesigned with his independence in mind.

“The County really came in and made a difference in my life,” he said. “I just throw my hat off to them because they really came in and made a difference in my life. They made it so easy for me to live here. I thank them for everything they did.”

To learn more about Orange County Recovers or determine program eligibility, visit Orange County Recovers Program.

Key Points:

• Three years with storm damage: Hurricane Ian damaged Turner’s roof and caused extensive water damage, leaving him to catch rainwater in buckets and live in deteriorating conditions for three years.
• Complete renovation: Orange County Recovers replaced the roof, flooring and walls and installed new kitchen cabinets, countertops and appliances.
• Accessibility improvements: Turner’s home was modified with wider corridors and doorways and a wheelchair-accessible shower after a health setback left him using a wheelchair.
• More homes being helped: Orange County Recovers has completed repairs on 33 hurricane-damaged homes, with 60 additional homes moving forward with construction and 218 applications in the pipeline.
• Applications remain open: Low-to-moderate-income homeowners throughout Orange County, including those living within municipalities, may apply for assistance with unresolved damage from Hurricanes Ian and Milton.