What is My Safe Florida?
The My Safe Florida Home Program ("MSFH" or the "Program") is a Program administered by Florida Department of Financial Services (FL DFS) under Florida Statute 215.5586. This Program offers financial assistance to eligible Florida Homeowners to help retrofit and strengthen homes against storm damage.
What Are the Benefits of the My Safe Florida Home Program?
The My Safe Florida Home Program helps eligible Florida homeowners strengthen their homes against hurricane damage by providing free inspections and financial assistance for qualifying improvements. The State of Florida describes these as the program’s two primary components.
Strengthen Your Home and Protect What Matters
By taking advantage of the My Safe Florida Home Program, eligible homeowners may be able to:
Identify vulnerable areas of their home at no inspection cost.
Receive financial assistance for qualifying hurricane-protection improvements.
Upgrade windows, doors, and other building components for greater storm resistance.
Potentially qualify for wind-mitigation insurance savings.
Improve the overall protection and resilience of their home.
Free Hurricane Mitigation Inspection
Eligible homeowners may receive a free home inspection that identifies the existing hurricane-resistant features of the home and recommends improvements that may help reduce hurricane and wind damage.
The inspection may identify opportunities to improve areas such as windows, exterior doors, garage doors, skylights, roofing, and other components of the home.
Grant Assistance for Hurricane Protection
Eligible homeowners may apply for grant funding to complete approved hurricane-mitigation improvements recommended through the program.
For standard matching grants, homeowners may receive State assistance toward qualifying improvements, subject to current program eligibility requirements, available funding, and grant approval.
Assistance for Eligible Low-Income Homeowners
The program may provide additional financial assistance for qualifying low-income homeowners, including grant options that reduce or eliminate the homeowner contribution when applicable.
Eligibility and funding requirements are established by the State and may change from one program year to another.
Potential Homeowners Insurance Savings
Qualifying hurricane-mitigation improvements may also help reduce homeowners insurance costs.
Florida law requires residential property insurers to include applicable discounts, credits, other rate adjustments, or deductible reductions for qualifying windstorm-mitigation features. These can include improvements that strengthen windows, doors, skylights, opening protection, roofing, and structural connections.
Actual insurance savings vary based on the improvements completed, the home, inspection results, insurance carrier, and policy.