TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — With many homeowners still feeling the pinch from rising home insurance costs and Florida among the highest premiums in the nation, state lawmakers pushed forward a bill they believe will provide some relief during a special legislative session on Tuesday.
House reps. unanimously passed a bill that included a $176 million injection of funding for the My Safe Florida Home program, which provides grant money for homeowners making home hardening repairs.
“We’re very excited to bring it back because we’ve seen many people benefit,” Dan Hosmer, owner of St. Petersburg-based Zager Windows, Doors & Shutters, said.
Hosmer’s company is one of the contractors approved by the state to take on jobs as part of the program.
The program re-launched last year and has been a popular resource since it did. It works by essentially reimbursing folks who go through the state process of home hardening. This money, the third injection, will largely address a backlog of 17,000 applicants who are waiting for the 2:1 matching funds up to $10,000 for new windows, doors or roofs.
With 20,979 My Safe Florida Home grants approved as of Oct. 26, more than $209 million has been obligated to homeowners, according to a House staff analysis. Meanwhile, 17,617 grant applications awaited funding. Also, inspections had been completed on 85,687 homes, with another 12,310 in the pipeline, according to reporting from the News Service of Florida.
“Obviously we get lots of calls throughout the year from people who want to do hurricane protection, it’s good for insurance purposes to have your house hurricane-ready,” Hosmer added.
State leaders believe this program is helping address rising insurance premiums.
“The average participant in the My Safe Florida Home Program is seeing their premiums drop by a thousand dollars a year,” Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis testified. “That’s significant.”
The bill now heads to the state Senate for approval, where it's expected to pass as well. Some lawmakers say they hope the program is broadened next year.
“Perhaps as we return in January what we can do to address the income disparities with the My Safe Florida Home Program, open it up to other types of establishments like condos,” State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) said on the House floor. She added she wished the special session had more on the agenda to address rising insurance costs.
The application portal for the program is closed for now, but there are still ways you can save some money. The state is still offering free hurricane home inspections, which could save you a couple hundred bucks if you are planning on going forward with upgrades. Click here for more information on how you can qualify.