SENATOR GELLER
DELIVERS $5,000 CHECK
FROM THE MY SAFE FLORIDA
HOME PROGRAM TO FT.
LAUDERDALE RESIDENT
TUESDAY Sink urging more
Broward County residents
to sign up at
www.MySafeFloridaHome.com
FT. LAUDERDALE –
On behalf of Florida
Chief Financial Officer
Alex Sink and the My
Safe Florida Home (MSFH)
program, Senator Steve
Geller (D-Hallandale
Beach) personally
delivered a matching
grant reimbursement for
$5,000 to a Ft.
Lauderdale homeowner who
hardened his home
through the state’s MSFH
program.
“Mitigation is the best
way to protect your
home, it will reduce the
state’s exposure to
hurricane damage and it
can result in savings on
your wind insurance
premium,” said CFO Sink,
who oversees the
Department of Financial
Services. “I encourage
more Floridians to
follow Mr. Lyden’s lead
and sign up for free
wind inspections through
the My Safe Florida Home
program.”
Daniel Lyden, a
45-year-old system
engineer from Ft.
Lauderdale, received a
grant reimbursement
Tuesday after hardening
his home’s opening
protections. After
having his home
inspected by a MSFH
inspector, Lyden
received a report
indicating that the
addition of
impact-resistant windows
and doors would help
harden his home to
hurricanes. With the
program’s matching grant
reimbursement of up to
$5,000, Lyden was able
to harden his windows
and doors for a total
cost of about $25,000.
“Hurricane insurance
rates in Florida remain
unacceptably high,” said
Sen. Geller. “The total
exposure to hurricane
damage in this state
remains too high. The
best way to reduce the
statewide problem and
reduce your individual
rates is this type of
mitigation to reduce or
prevent future damages.”
The MSFH program resumed
offering wind
inspections and expanded
statewide this year
after conducting a pilot
program during the
previous year. Since
April 2007, the MSFH
program has performed
over 86,000 free wind
inspections. More than
9,512 homeowners have
been approved for
matching grants and are
working with the MSFH
program to harden their
homes. Statewide, the
program has issued a
grand total of more than
1,010 grants to
homeowners for more than
$3.1 million.
To date, the program has
reimbursed 183
homeowners in Broward
County for a total of
$614,549.36. Currently
there are 2,834
homeowners in Broward
County hardening their
homes through the MSFH
program. These
homeowners are being
reimbursed for half the
cost up to $5,000 on a
variety of home
improvements, including
hurricane shutters,
reinforced garage doors
and bracing gable ends.
MSFH also partners with
the Volunteer Florida
Foundation (VFF) to
provide mitigation, at
no cost, to the homes of
lower-income Floridians
(those earning 80
percent or less than the
Area Median Income.) To
date, VFF has completed
work on 623 homes in
Florida, 53 of those
homes are located in
Broward County.
Any Floridian who lives
in a single-family,
site-built home is
eligible for a free wind
inspection through the
program. Floridians can
apply on-line at
www.MySafeFloridaHome.com
or by calling the
program toll-free at
1-866-513-6734.
Homeowners who receive
free wind inspections
through the MSFH program
will receive a detailed
inspection report,
complete with additional
eligibility information
on matching grants and
estimated insurance
premium discounts, if
the homeowner is
eligible.
In order to be eligible
for the program’s
matching grant
reimbursements of up to
$5,000, the Legislature
requires that homeowners
meet the following
requirements: have
received a completed
wind inspection after
May 1, 2007; live in a
single-family,
site-built home built
before March 1, 2002;
have a valid homestead
exemption; have an
insured value of
$300,000 or less; and be
located in the
wind-borne debris
region.
Additionally, while the
free wind inspections
will still cover seven
potential
wind-resistance
improvements, matching
grants may only be
applied to opening
protections, including
windows, exterior doors
and garage doors, as
well as the bracing of
gable ends.
