Sumter County Couple Receives New Home in Wildwood After Hurricane Milton Displacement

Wildwood, FL – Levy and Shirley Lacey officially closed on their new home in Wildwood on Friday, September 18, 2026, marking a significant step in their recovery after Hurricane Milton destroyed their previous residence in October 2024. The Sumter County State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program and the Economic Development Division of the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners provided crucial assistance to the couple.

The Laceys lost the home where they had lived for 50 years when Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida in October 2024. The storm caused widespread damage across Sumter County, leaving many residents, including the Laceys, to rebuild their lives. Their daughter reported the storm damage to Sumter County immediately after the hurricane.

Days after the storm, the Recovery Section of Sumter County’s Emergency Response contacted the Laceys. They introduced the couple to the SHIP Demolition/Reconstruction Program. This program assists eligible homeowners by constructing a new home when an existing owner-occupied structure is deemed unsafe, when rehabilitation costs exceed 80 percent of the home’s value, or when a disaster destroys the home.

The SHIP program offers a maximum award of $175,000. This assistance comes as a zero percent interest loan, secured by a recorded mortgage and promissory note, with monthly payments required for thirty years. Homeowners affected by extreme weather events must contact Sumter County’s Economic Development Division before the state’s executive order expires to qualify for full assistance.