DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — WPTV is staying on top of the state's popular My Safe Florida Home program, which offers $10,000 grants to harden homes and lower insurance premiums.
We haven't stopped asking questions for residents facing issues in the application process.
WATCH BELOW: Homeowner lays out My Safe Florida Home frustration
A Delray Beach homeowner contacted us asking why she couldn't reapply to the program.
Ava Sloane told us she can't get a My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) grant because she applied for one three years ago.
"It's frustrating for me, and I'm sure (it's) frustrating for many other people," Sloane, who has lived at the home since 2018, said.
She said the system doesn't seem fair.
It started in 2022 when she first applied for an MSFH grant, but then withdrew her accepted application because of the large cost she would have to pay out of pocket for a new roof.
"They said, 'Well, you need to withdraw from the program because that money will then go to another homeowner,'" Sloane told WPTV on Tuesday.
And when she tried again this year, she was rejected based on her withdrawing the 2022 application.
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"I just kept getting, 'submit a support ticket, submit a support ticket, someone will look at it. We have a lot of people,''' Sloane said. "I finally received an email basically saying you can't apply more than once."
Here is what we found out:
There are rules on only one MSFH grant per homeowner, with limitations on filing additional applications, which are only allowed if the original application has an error or was rejected because the property was ineligible at the time.
WPTV has contacted the Florida Department of Financial Services, which runs the MSFH program, to try to clear up Sloan's predicament.
Former state Sen. Jeff Brandes with the Florida Policy Project calls the program disorganized.
"Look, this is an inefficient program. It has been from the day it started," Brandes said. "It is not something that the state has actually researched or done any return on investment type of research to understand how the program can run better. I actually think they don't want to know."
With or without the grant, Sloane, who is retired and on a fixed income, said she'll have to pay out of pocket in full for the roof and windows she needs.
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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.
