July 27, 2007
MY SAFE FLORIDA
HOME ADDS NEW
HELPLINE
SPECIALISTS
Program
improving
customer service
and reducing
hold time for
Florida
homeowners
TALLAHASSEE
– In a
continuing
effort to
improve customer
service, Florida
Chief Financial
Officer Alex
Sink today
announced the My
Safe Florida
Home (MSFH)
program has
added 12
helpline
specialists -
doubling the
resources - to
assist
homeowners
inquiring about
the program
through its toll
free helpline.
Since the MSFH
program expanded
statewide in
April, the
helpline has
received an
increased number
of inquiries
from new and
current
applicants.
With the
additional
staff, the
program expects
homeowners
seeking a free
wind inspection
will be able to
reach a
specialist more
quickly.
“Since taking
office in
January, we have
been working to
improve the
customer service
in the My Safe
Florida Home
program,” said
CFO Sink, who
oversees the
Department of
Financial
Services. “The
addition of more
helpline
representatives
is yet another
way the program
is working to
better assist
Florida’s
homeowners.”
The additional
helpline
specialists will
allow the
program to
handle up to
3,500 more calls
per week. The
MSFH program is
currently
handling almost
5,000 calls each
week. Consumers
should know that
hold times to
speak to a
specialist vary
from day to day,
with the
heaviest call
volume on
Mondays and
Tuesdays. The
program receives
fewer phone
calls mid- to
late-week.
CFO Sink has
been working to
streamline the
program and to
provide better
customer service
to Floridians
after the
program got off
to a slow start
in 2006.
Florida
homeowners can
apply entirely
online to
receive their
free wind
inspections by
visiting the
MSFH program’s
Web site at
www.MySafeFloridaHome.com.
Consumers may
also apply over
the phone at the
program’s
toll-free
helpline at
1-866-513-MSFH
(6734).
CFO Sink’s goal
is to complete
400,000 free
wind inspections
over the next
two years and,
since April
2007, more than
60,000
Floridians have
received free
wind
inspections.
Any Floridian
who lives in a
single-family,
site-built home
is eligible for
a free wind
inspection
through the
program. With a
free wind
inspection,
Floridians will
receive a
detailed
inspection
report, learn
how safe their
homes are and
know what they
can do to
strengthen their
homes against
hurricanes.
Additionally,
many Floridians
are finding they
are eligible for
discounts on
their wind
insurance
premiums—without
making a single
improvement!
The MSFH program
also offers
eligible
homeowners
matching grant
reimbursements
of up to $5,000
to make certain
mitigation
improvements.
In order to be
eligible for the
program’s
matching grant
reimbursements,
homeowners who
sign up now must
meet the
following
requirements
under a new law:
have received a
completed wind
inspection; live
in a
single-family,
site-built home
with a building
permit issued
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
cover seven
potential
wind-resistance
improvements,
matching grants
may only be used
for opening
protections,
including
windows,
exterior doors
and garage
doors, as well
as the bracing
of gable ends.
More than 6,000
homeowners are
currently
working with the
MSFH program to
harden their
homes. To date,
533 homeowners
have completed
the improvements
recommended in
their inspection
reports and have
received a grand
total of more
than $1.6
million in
matching grant
reimbursements.
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
the bracing of
gable ends.
