What Is My Safe Florida Home Program?
Floridians who need to strengthen their homes against hurricane winds can get help from the state government. The My Safe Florida Home Program provides grants of up to $10,000 toward hurricane mitigation projects.
How Does The Program Work?
The program has two main components, both administered by the Florida Department of Financial Services:
- Is to provide eligible Florida homeowners with a free, no-obligation Hurricane Mitigation Inspection, which will assess the current hurricane-resistant features of their home and recommend improvements to further strengthen their home against hurricanes.
- Is to offer eligible Florida homeowners a Hurricane Mitigation Grant to help cover the cost of recommended home improvements identified during the program’s initial inspection, enhancing the home’s hurricane resistance and potentially qualifying the homeowner for discounts on home insurance premiums.
Hurricane Mitigation Grants:
Matching Grants
The MSFH Program Matching Grant works on a reimbursement basis. Your Grant Application must be approved prior to proceeding with construction work. Payment requests are made at the end of the application process through a Draw Request. You must provide a paid-in-full invoice with your Draw Request. If your Draw Request is approved, you will be reimbursed for 2/3 of the total costs of the construction project up to a maximum state contribution of up to $10,000, subject to legislative appropriation.
Low-Income Grants
Low-Income Homeowners who meet all other Hurricane Mitigation Grant Requirements are eligible for a Low-Income Grant of up to $10,000, subject to legislative appropriation, and are not required to provide a matching amount to receive grant funds. Low-Income Homeowners do not need to provide a paid-in-full invoice and are exempt from the insured value requirement.
What Improvements Are Eligible For Grant Money?
There are four improvements that are eligible for grant funding under the My Safe FL Home Program when recommended in an Initial Inspection Report:
Improvement 1.0 – Opening Protection – This upgrade ensures your home has impact-resistant windows, doors, garage doors, and skylights to protect against flying debris.
Improvement 2.0 – Roof-to-Wall Attachment – This upgrade strengthens the connection between your roof and walls by adding clips or wraps, providing additional roof stability during a hurricane.
Improvement 3.0 – Roof Deck Attachment – This upgrade involves securing your roof deck through nailing. This reinforces your roof’s ability to withstand strong winds.
Improvement 4.0 – Secondary Water Resistance (SWR) – This involves applying a self-adhering underlayment directly to the sheathing, seam tape, or using a foam adhesive barrier to protect the home from water intrusion if the roof covering is unfortunately lost.
Only improvements recommended by an inspector in the Initial Inspection Report and observed by an inspector in the Final Inspection Report are eligible for funding under the program. No other construction work will be considered for funding.
Who is Eligible?
Florida Homeowners who meet the following requirements may qualify for a free Inspection:
- The home must be a single-family, detached residential property or a townhouse as defined in section 481.203, Florida Statutes (F.S.);
- The home must be site-built and owner-occupied; and
- The Homeowner must have been granted a homestead exemption on the home under chapter 196, F.S.
Single-family homes that are attached to other units will be treated as Townhouses for the purposes of the MSFH Program.
- Properties that are NOT eligible for a free Inspection include:
- Multi-Family Homes (such as apartments, duplexes, and triplexes)
- Condominiums
- Cooperatives
- Retirement Homes
- Mobile Homes & Manufactured Homes
- Second Homes, Vacation Homes,& Rental Properties
Not all applicants who received an Inspection through the Program will be eligible for a Hurricane Mitigation Grant.
A homeowner is eligible for a Grant if all of the following criteria are met:
- The home must be eligible for a Hurricane Mitigation Inspection and must have received an Initial Inspection through the Program.
- The home must be a dwelling with an insured value of $700,000 or less. Low-Income Homeowners, as defined under section 420.0004 (11), F.S., are exempt from this requirement.
- The building permit application for initial construction of the home must have been made before January 1, 2008.
- The Homeowner must provide the name and license number of the Contractor selected to perform the Mitigation Project.
- The Homeowner must agree to make the home available for a Final Inspection once the Project is complete; and
- The Homeowner must agree to provide to the Program any and all information received from the Homeowner’s insurer identifying the discounts realized by the Homeowner because of the Improvements funded through the Program.
How Do I Get A Contractor?
You choose who to hire for the work. You must choose a contractor who is licensed and/or certified by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Do not begin construction on a project until you have the grant funds approved. However, when you apply, you have to provide the name and license number of the contractor who will perform the work.
For more information about My Safe Florida Home Program, please visit mysafeflhome.com