Countdown to 2023 Hurricane Season
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:
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:
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
OPENINGS
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.