TAMPA, Fla. — Representative Kevin Steele is no stranger to the costs of building a home. He’s a businessman who recently started a new venture.
“So ironically enough, last year, I started a building company called Hunter Custom Homes. We're building, you know, 2700 square foot homes,” said Steele, a Republican.
10 Tampa Bay from Tampa-St Pete sat down with Steele to talk about the Rebuild Florida Hurricane Irma Home Repair and Replacement program. He had questions.
“It doesn't seem like the cost of goods or labor really correlates with the scope of work,” Steele said. “I do know, and new building contracts that you have with construction organizations, they put in an inflation writer now, because a lot of construction companies got in trouble with cost of goods going up."
He continued, "I know that when we were building our house, from the beginning, when we started to when we ended, inflationary costs have drove through the roof. So, I know that some of this could be attributed to that. But it shouldn't be that out of line.”
He says he will look into issues after hearing that contracts have sometimes quadrupled their original price and that some homeowners are still waiting to get home after their homes were destroyed by Hurricane Irma.
“We should do an investigation in which I'm grateful that you guys were doing this to find out why it's happening,” Steele said.
First Coast News sat down with another lawmaker, State Sen. Clay Yarborough who represents parts of the First Coast. We showed him video of homeowner's complaints.
“I'm very concerned to see that,” Yarborough said when we told him about the frustrations homeowners have with the Rebuild Florida program.
"Whatever we have promised as a state that we will do to help them with their property, that is what we need to do," Yarborough said. "If we're not holding up our end, then that responsibility rests with the state... If anyone has an issue out there, and they're not getting through, they are welcome to call my office. We will get on the phone with the department, and we will ensure that they get a response."
