Countdown to 2023 Hurricane Season
At this time, the My Safe Florida Home Program has temporarily stopped accepting new applications for our free home wind mitigation inspections until the new funding becomes available July 1st. On July 1st, we anticipate re-opening the portal in compliance with the Program’s new requirements. For now, we will continue to process existing inspection applications and grant reimbursement requests.
Thank you, CFO Patronis, Governor DeSantis and Florida Legislature, for your continued support of the program, we look forward to implementing the new legislation and funding the Legislature provided for the coming fiscal year.
Beginning July 1, 2024, the MSFH program will re-open our portal for homeowners. New funding for the program will be tied to new prioritization requirements as enacted by the Legislature. Applications will be accepted and prioritized in 15-day increments.
Once all funds are awarded, the portal will close and will not accept any additional applications until additional funding is provided.
No, if you have received notification that your grant application was approved and you were directed to obtain a contractor, you may continue to proceed with your project.
Yes, all grant applications submitted after July 1st must be prioritized as outlined above in the FAQ entitled “Upcoming law changes July 1, 2024”.
On July 1st, the portal will be re-opened with new prioritization criteria, see question above, “Upcoming law changes July 1, 2024.”
At this time, the Program can only authorize grant payments to homeowners who were approved for the grant prior to construction commencing.
No, there is no guarantee. The MSFH Program is optimistic that the overwhelmingly positive response to the program will be an incentive for new funds to be made available.
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 house or townhouse may apply for and receive an inspection without any further obligation to apply for a grant.
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. Low income grants have been increased from $5,000 to $10,000.
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.