Hey, Florida Homeowners!

The My Safe Florida Home Program was re-enacted during the most recent Special Session of the Florida Legislature. The program consists of two primary components:

1. Wind Mitigation Home Inspections (DFS anticipates between 140,000 and 145,000 initial home inspections.)  All owners of site-built, single-family, residential homes are eligible to make application for a wind mitigation home inspection. This inspection will identify those elements of your home’s construction which could be improved to mitigate your home against future wind damages. All inspections will be provided to eligible homeowners free of charge by the State. Applications will be reviewed and approved in the order in which they are received until current funding is exhausted.
2. Wind Mitigation Grant awards for home construction (DFS anticipates awarding between 11,000 and 12,000 grants based on current funding.)

An owner of a site-built, single-family, residential property may apply for and receive an inspection without any further obligation to apply for a grant.

Homeowners who have received a wind mitigation inspection may be eligible to apply for matching grant funds to make improvements to their homes. The following eligibility criteria will be used to approve grant applicants:

1. The homeowner must provide proof of homestead exemption; if you need assistance obtaining a copy of your homestead exemption information, please confer with your local Property Appraiser or Tax Collector’s Office.  Click here to find your local officials.
2. The homeowner must provide documentation that their home is insured for $500,000 or less. Please have ready a copy of your current property insurance declarations page. If you do not have a copy, contact your insurance company.
3. The home must be in the wind-borne debris region of the state.  Please review the map of the region to determine if you live in the eligible area.  View Map Here.
4. The initial building construction permit for the home must have been issued prior to January 1, 2008. If you do not know when your home was built, please contact your local officials. This information is frequently available through your Property Appraiser’s office or website.
5. The homeowner must allow their home to be re-inspected after construction work has been completed.

You may apply for your free wind mitigation inspection by clicking here.

The Legislature has authorized DFS to provide a matching grant to eligible homeowners up to $10,000 for the actual cost of qualifying home hurricane mitigation projects. The program will provide $2 in grant funds for every $1 the homeowner provides. In order to receive the maximum grant amount, homeowners must provide $5,000 of their own funds toward the project.

When recommended by a hurricane mitigation inspection, grants may be used for the following improvements:

ROOFS AND STRUCTURES

• Upgrade Roof Coverings
• Improve Strength of Roof Deck Attachments
• Reinforce Roof-to-Wall Connections
• Install Secondary Water Barrier for the Roof

OPENINGS

• Exterior Door Upgrades
• Garage Door Upgrades
• Window Upgrades

Yes, the Legislature has also provided tax exemptions for home-hardening initiatives. Please click here for additional information on tax breaks. Beginning July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2024, sales tax is exempt on purchases of impact-resistant doors, impact-resistant garage doors, and impact-resistant windows.

No. Once you have applied and been approved for your free wind-mitigation inspection, a licensed inspector will be assigned to you to complete the inspection of your home.

The Department of Financial Services will provide a list of contractors that have agreed to participate in the program. Applicants will be provided with that list of approved contractors to select from after they have been approved for their Grant.

Your inspection report is uploaded in the system.  Once reviewed and processed, you receive an email notification that you can now go back to your inspection account to open and submit your grant application if you choose.

According to Florida Statute 215.5586, 2(b), “All grants must be matched on the basis of $1 provided by the applicant for $2 provided by the state up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000 toward the actual cost of the mitigation project.” In other words, the homeowner must contribute funds equal to 1/3 of the cost of the project toward the project to be reimbursed for the remaining 2/3’s up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000.

For example, if an applicant were to pay $15,000 for new impact-rated windows, their required contribution would be $5,000, and the state’s contribution would be equal to the maximum grant amount of $10,000. If the windows cost $9,000, the applicant would pay $3,000 and would receive a state-matched Reimbursement of $6,000. If the windows cost more than $15,000, the applicant would still only receive $10,000, as that is the maximum reimbursement amount.