WES PALM BEACH, Fla. — In the last few weeks, WPTV has received many emails from people with various questions about the My Safe Florida Home program.
Since there are too many questions to list, we took some of the more frequent ones and directed them to the Department of Financial Services, where the program is run, to get the answers.
Here they are, not edited, nothing taken out, just the way they were emailed back to me.
Q. How should homeowners calculate the income formula?
A. Homeowners do not need to calculate their own income formula; they should report the number of people living in their home along with their household income. But, if a homeowner wants to know where the calculations come from, the My Safe Florida Home Program (Program) uses the Housing and Urban Development income limits tables. The tables can be found here: Income Limits | HUD USER
Homeowners should click "Click Here for FY 2025 IL Documentation" and then select Florida and their county of residence to find their table.
Q. If I'm unsure of income eligibility for the program, should I just apply and wait for an answer?
A. Yes, we encourage all homeowners to apply if they are interested in having an inspection and receiving a grant.
Q. How should seniors navigate applications if they're not computer savvy?
A. We encourage all homeowners who may experience difficulty navigating the website to reach out to our team for assistance. We have many ways to receive support, including:
- Click the red "Support" button at the top right-hand corner of the MySafeFLHome.com website and put in a ticket requesting help and someone will reach back out to them.
- If they are comfortable, they could use the "live chat" feature on the Support tab.
- They can also call 561-640-6734 to receive assistance.
Q. Are the grants one-time only, or can homeowners apply for grants in subsequent years?
A. Per Florida law, homeowners are currently limited to one grant per person. Currently, our statute says the following about "a subsequent grant application."
(b)1. An application for a grant must contain a signed or electronically verified statement made under penalty of perjury that the applicant has submitted only one grant application or that the application is allowed under subparagraph 2., and the application must have documents attached demonstrating that the applicant meets the requirements of paragraph (a).
2. An applicant may submit a subsequent grant application if:
a. The original grant application was denied or withdrawn because the application contained errors or omissions;
b. The original grant application was denied or withdrawn because the home did not meet the eligibility criteria for a grant at the time of the previous application, and the homeowner reasonably believes that the home now is eligible for a grant; or
c. The program’s eligibility requirements for a grant have changed since the original application date, and the applicant reasonably believes that he or she is an eligible homeowner under the new requirements.
Q. Can homeowners use their own contractors and inspectors?
A. Inspectors – Homeowners must use inspectors that are part of the Program. When a homeowner applies for an inspection, the Program will assign an inspector who will reach out to the homeowner to schedule the inspection.
Contractors – Homeowners are responsible for finding their own contractor. The Program offers “Tips” when looking for a contractor, and provides third party assistance to homeowners who may be struggling to find a contractor in their area. For more on contractors or to check a contractor’s license, click on the contractor tab at the top of mysafelfhome.com or click here: Welcome To The Contractor Resource Center Micro - My Safe Florida Home
Q. Does the home improvement from the grant guarantee a reduction in insurance?
A. No, the Program cannot guarantee a reduction. Everyone’s home and every insurance company is different. However, Florida law does provide that insurance companies, through their rate filings, are to provide savings “to consumers who install or implement windstorm damage mitigation techniques…"
Q. Is Gov Bridge part of the Department of Financial Services, and is it open to all homeowners?
A. GovBridge is a private company and is not overseen by the Department of Financial Services. The My Safe Florida Home website provides links to third-party resources that can assist homeowners struggling to find a contractor to work with. GovBridge and ProfileGorilla are the two services that homeowners can access on the site. Additionally, homeowners can find a link directly to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s portal to find a licensed contractor.
Q. Can the grant amount change after approval?
A. By law, the maximum amount of grant funds available to any applicant is $10,000. For low-income homeowners (Groups 1 and 2), verifiable invoices totaling $10,000 must be submitted in order to receive the maximum payout. Homeowners in groups 3 and 4 are eligible for a "matching grant". Verifiable invoices totaling $15,000 or more must be submitted in order to receive the maximum payout of $10,000 for group 3 and 4 homeowners. All matching grants are $2 from the Program for every $1 spent by the homeowner.
Q. Why is the program not open to homeowners who don't have insurance?
A. The Program’s focus is two-fold: 1. To harden homes and 2. To drive down insurance rates. The law governing the program requires that the Department track and annually report to the Legislature, “the estimated average annual amount of insurance premium discounts and total estimated annual amount of insurance premium discounts homeowners received from insurers as a result of mitigation funded through the program.” (see 215.5586, F.S. here: Statutes & Constitution) The Program collects information on premiums "pre and post" construction in order to calculate the information that must be reported back to the Legislature each year.
Q. Will the program run out of money before the last groups can apply?
A. We will have sufficient grant funding to get to "Group 4" which is "Under age 60 and Moderate-Income". The application window for this group will open on September 15th.
Inspection funding is holding steady, but at this time it is hard to predict if the funds will make it to Group 5, which is all other homeowners. As a reminder, Group 5 is eligible for an initial inspection this year, but they are not eligible for grant funds.
Matt Sczesny is determined every day to help you find solutions in Florida's coverage collapse. If you have a question or comment on homeowners insurance, you can reach out to him any time.
