ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. — Even as tens of thousands of Florida homeowners have benefited from the My Safe Florida Home program, there are still many who are skeptical.
"That was the first thing everybody I've talked to said, 'Oh, it's a scam,' and it's like, no, it's not a scam," David Sager of Royal Palm Beach said.
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He tells me he first started his application to the program in June when he was looking for some new windows and a roof.
By October, he had a $10,000 grant to offset his $12,000 cost.
"There's no automated system," he tells me, referring to navigating the numerous steps in the process.
Sager was complimentary of the customer service he received.
"It's a person who answers the phone, and they answer it within five minutes, and they want to help you. They want you to get the money.”
He advises homeowners to go carefully over all the steps, hire a licensed contractor, take notes when talking with the program representatives and be patient.
Currently, the applicant portal of the MSFH program is closed temporarily as the website undergoes improvements meant to make it easier and more efficient to navigate.
It's expected to relaunch on Dec. 4.
In an email to homeowners, all current applications in the system are secure while the website improvements are taking place.