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October 3, 2006
GALLAGHER ANNOUNCES
PARTNERSHIP WITH OSCEOLA COUNTY NON-PROFIT TO
STRENGTHEN HOMES AGAINST HURRICANES
100
Low-Income Seniors to be Served in Osceola
TALLAHASSEE—Chief
Financial Officer Tom Gallagher announced
today that 100 low-income seniors will soon
be safer from hurricanes thanks to a new
partnership between the Osceola County
Council on Aging and the My Safe Florida
Home program. Through the partnership,
homeowners will receive free home
inspections and assistance to make
improvements that will strengthen homes
against catastrophic losses.
“Partnering
with faith- and community-based groups to
help fortify low-income homes in Florida is
mission critical to protecting families and
reducing property losses,” said Gallagher,
who oversees the My Safe Florida Home
program. “Through these partnerships, we
will be able to leverage resources and help
thousands of Floridians before the end of
this hurricane season.”
Through the
Volunteer Florida Foundation, which
administers the Florida Hurricane Relief
Fund, the Osceola County Council on Aging is
teaming up with the My Safe Florida Home
program to fortify the homes of up to 100
low-income seniors in Osceola County. My
Safe Florida Home is matching over $250,000
with the resources of the Council on Aging.
A homeowner can earn no more than 80 percent
of the Annual Median Income (AMI) to qualify
for this assistance. AMI varies by county.
Participating
homeowners will receive free home
inspections to determine what improvements
can be made to strengthen their homes
against hurricane damage. Following the
inspections, homeowners will receive
assistance to make recommended improvements.
“In our
long-term recovery work following the last
two hurricane seasons, we at the Florida
Hurricane Relief Fund have learned the
enormous value of partnering with community
and faith-based groups, organizations that
know their communities and are effective
partners in accomplishing important tasks,”
said Liza McFadden, president of the
Volunteer Florida Foundation. “We are
honored to expand our role to include
mitigation work with the Department of
Financial Services to ensure Florida’s
low-income residents get the help they need
to strengthen their homes.”
Funding for the
partnership with non-profit organizations is
possible because of a $250 million
appropriation by the Florida Legislature
during the 2006 Session to create the
Florida Comprehensive Hurricane Damage
Mitigation Program, now referred to as My
Safe Florida Home and administered by the
Florida Department of Financial Services.
To date, the department has received more
than 53,000 applications in the mail from
Floridians eager to have free home
inspections. Nearly 5,000 inspections are
currently being done in Dade, Broward and
Lee counties. Gallagher said his goal is to
have 12,000 inspections completed before the
end of this hurricane season, November 30.
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