Financial assistance of up to $10,000 to protect your home against hurricanes: How to apply?
The My Safe Florida Home Program offers financial assistance of up to $10,000 to help protect your home against hurricanes. Here’s how to apply.
According to the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and will end around November 30.
Most of the activity is observed from August to October, and some states are particularly vulnerable to severe weather. In some of these states, such as Florida, financial help is offered to residents to help them prepare and protect their home.
Help of up to $10,000 to protect your home against hurricanes: how to apply?
According to the official website, the My Safe Florida Home Program was enacted by the Florida legislature to “harden Florida homes against hurricanes and save homeowners money.”
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According to the site, owners of any single-family residential home built in Florida can request a free inspection that details their home’s resistance to hurricanes and recommended improvements to increase that strength.
Based on your home inspection recommendations, you may be eligible for a program grant of up to $10,000 for the following improvements:
- Strengthen ceiling-to-wall connections
- Install secondary roof waterproofing
- Improve roof decking
- Improve the strength of roof deck accessories
- Exterior Door Upgrades
- Garage Door Upgrades
- Window Enhancements
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Residents may be eligible to apply for a grant where for every dollar they provide, the state will provide two dollars toward the actual cost of an authorized project, or two-thirds of the project cost up to $10,000.
Who is eligible and how to apply?
The following eligibility criteria will be used to approve grant applicants:
- Owner must provide proof of homestead tax exemption.
- Landlord must provide documentation that the house is vacant and insured for less than $700,000.
- The initial construction permit for the home must have been issued before January 1, 2008.
- The landlord must allow the home to be re-inspected after the construction work is complete.
Homeowners can request their free inspection on the program's web portal. Subsequently, the inspection report will be uploaded to the system. Once reviewed and processed, you will receive an email notification that you can log back into your account to submit your grant application.
For more information, visit the My Safe Florida Home Program web portal.
Other incentives for homeowners
The Florida legislature has also provided tax breaks for home strengthening initiatives. From July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024, sales tax will not be imposed on purchases of impact-resistant doors, impact-resistant garage doors, and impact-resistant windows.