My Safe FL Home Grants

Any Florida homeowner of a site-built, single-family, residential house or townhouse may apply for and receive an inspection without any further obligation to apply for a grant.

All of the following criteria will be used to approve grant applicants:

• You must have received a free home hurricane inspection through the My Safe Florida Home Program.
• You must provide proof of homestead exemption. If you need assistance obtaining a copy of your homestead exemption information, please confer with your local Property Appraiser or Tax Collectors’ Office.
• You must provide documentation that your home is insured for less than $700,000 and provide a copy of your current property insurance declarations page. If you do not have a copy, contact your home insurance company.
• The initial building construction permit for the home must have been issued prior to January 1, 2008. If you do not know when your home was built, please contact your local officials. This information is frequently available through the website or office of your Property Appraiser.
• Homeowners must allow the home to be re-inspected after construction work has been completed. This re-inspection is provided at no cost by the Department of Financial Services through the My Safe Florida Home Program.
• Low-income applicants must be below the 80% household median income percentile in their county of residence to qualify. FOR REFERENCE: Per Capita Personal Income by County, Annual: Florida | FRED | St. Louis Fed (stlouisfed.org)

All of the above criteria are necessary to qualify for, and receive, a grant, unless otherwise noted.

The Legislature has authorized DFS to provide a matching grant to eligible homeowners up to $10,000 for the actual cost of qualifying home hurricane mitigation projects. The program will provide $2 in grant funds for every $1 the homeowner provides.  Low income grants have been increased from $5,000 to $10,000.

Yes, the Legislature has also provided tax exemptions for home-hardening initiatives. Please click here for additional information on tax breaks. Beginning July 1, 2022, until June 30, 2024, sales tax is exempt on purchases of impact-resistant doors, impact-resistant garage doors, and impact-resistant windows.

According to Florida Statute 215.5586, 2(b), “All grants must be matched on the basis of $1 provided by the applicant for $2 provided by the state up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000 toward the actual cost of the mitigation project.” In other words, the homeowner must contribute funds equal to 1/3 of the cost of the project toward the project to be reimbursed for the remaining 2/3’s up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000.

For example, if an applicant were to pay $15,000 for new impact-rated windows, their required contribution would be $5,000, and the state’s contribution would be equal to the maximum grant amount of $10,000. If the windows cost $9,000, the applicant would pay $3,000 and would receive a state-matched Reimbursement of $6,000. If the windows cost more than $15,000, the applicant would still only receive $10,000, as that is the maximum reimbursement amount.

When recommended by a hurricane mitigation inspection, grants may be used for the following improvements:

ROOFS AND STRUCTURES

• Upgrade Roof Coverings
• Improve Strength of Roof Deck Attachments
• Reinforce Roof-to-Wall Connections
• Install Secondary Water Barrier for the Roof
• Townhouses are not eligible for roof repairs

OPENINGS

• Exterior Door Upgrades
• Garage Door Upgrades
• Window Upgrades