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October 2, 2006
GALLAGHER ANNOUNCES
PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL
NON-PROFITS TO
STRENGTHEN HOMES AGAINST
HURRICANES
Over 600 Low-Income
Homeowners in Dade,
Broward to Be Served
SOUTH MIAMI— At a home
today in South Miami,
Chief Financial Officer
Tom Gallagher announced
that 610 low-income
homeowners like
Ms.Regina Hamilton will
soon be safer from
hurricanes thanks to a
new partnership between
the Florida Hurricane
Relief Fund, Habitat for
Humanity in Miami and
the My Safe Florida Home
program. Through the
partnership, Ms.
Hamilton will receive a
free home inspection and
assistance to install
shutters on her home to
help strengthen it
against catastrophic
losses from a storm.
“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, four non-profit
organizations in
Miami-Dade and Broward
counties are teaming up
with the My Safe Florida
Home program to fortify
low-income homes. The
non-profits in
Miami-Dade County
include the Habitat for
Humanity and the Miami
Beach Community
Development Corporation.
In Broward County, the
Volunteer Action Center
and the Liberia Economic
and Social Development
Corporation will be
serving eligible
homeowners. A homeowner
can earn no more than 80
percent of the Annual
Median Income (AMI) to
qualify for this
assistance. AMI varies
by county.
Habitat for Humanity of
Greater Miami, Inc., is
a Christian ministry
that builds homes in
partnership with
low-income families in
need of a simple, decent
place to live. Miami
Habitat for Humanity has
built and sold 560 homes
throughout Miami-Dade
County since
incorporating in 1989.
The construction of
Habitat homes is made
possible through
donations from concerned
individuals, businesses,
organizations, and
foundations.
“This partnership will
help low-income
homeowners in Miami
strengthen their homes
against storm damage and
hopefully will result in
a reduction in their
homeowners insurance
premiums,” said Anne
Manning, Executive
Director of the Habitat
for Humanity of Greater
Miami. “I thank CFO
Gallagher and
the My Safe Florida Home
program for the
opportunity to protect
the families in our
community by increasing
the strength of Habitat
homes.”
A combined $1,498,865
will be matched with
services and funding
through the four
non-profit
organizations. Together,
these organizations will
serve up to 610 homes in
the two-county area.
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, including
shutters and roof
strengthening.
On a statewide basis, 12
non-profit organizations
have partnered with My
Safe Florida Home and
Volunteer Florida
Foundation to serve more
than 4,000 low-income
Floridians living in
Broward, Escambia,
Glades, Hendry,
Miami-Dade, Osceola,
Palm Beach, Pinellas,
Polk and St. Lucie
counties. My Safe
Florida Home is matching
$8.1 million with the
resources of these 12
organizations.
"We applaud the
volunteers and community
organizations, which
will join us in our
important work to help
low-income residents
strengthen their homes,"
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.”
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 completed
applications 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.
To learn more about the
My Safe Florida Home
program, visit
www.mysafefloridahome.com.
For information on the
low-income portion of
the program, go to
www.FLAHurricaneFund.org. |
