A Florida program to help homeowners mitigate hurricane damage has paused accepting new applications until the summer.
The My Safe Florida Home Program provided free home wind protection inspections and helped match grants that can help provide two-thirds of project costs of up to $10,000 for things like reinforcing roofs and strengthening doors and windows. Participating in the program may assist in savings for insurance programs.
The program attracted significant interest to the point where it temporarily stopped accepting new applications.
“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,” the program’s website says. “For now, we will continue to process existing inspection applications and grant reimbursement requests.”
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The Context
Florida has grappled with an increased frequency of climate-change-related weather events, including hurricanes, that have contributed to a jump in homeowners insurance costs.
On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis approved a bill to continue to fund the My Safe Florida Home program. The approval will give $200 million for the upcoming fiscal year. DeSantis also approved a bill seeking to add a similar program for condos.
“Strong infrastructure is the best way to protect against the impacts of a future hurricane,” DeSantis said in a statement. “We are making investments that strengthen our state, help homeowners strengthen their homes, and increase our coastal protection against a storm.”
At a press conference, DeSantis said that more than 150,000 residents in the state were using the program.
“This has already helped 152,000 Floridians across the state, but the program is oversubscribed, there’s a lot of demand, there’s a lot of people on the waiting list,” DeSantis said, according to Florida Voice. “This $200 million will go towards clearing the folks that are on the waiting list and any additional demand that comes.”
Views
The state’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, said in the same statement that the program will seek to assist about 20,000 residents with a focus on seniors and low-income Floridians.
“Homeowners who completed the program reported an average savings of roughly $1,000 on their insurance premiums,” Patronis said. “Another hurricane season is fast approaching and unfortunately, Mother Nature loves our state and it’s not if but when a major storm will take aim at Florida. Don’t wait to protect your biggest investment from storms – your home.”
What’s Next
DeSantis’s office said there is $30 million funding to introduce a My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program to help strengthen their infrastructure against the weather-related hits.
The My Safe Florida Program suggested that it aimed to restart its program this summer.
“On July 1st, we anticipate re-opening the portal in compliance with the Program’s new requirements,” according to the website.
Uncommon Knowledge
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