TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Funds for new My Safe Florida applicants have run dry. The popular program promises to bring down homeowners’ property insurance premiums by hardening up their homes.
Officials said the program has been “an amazing success.” It offers free home inspections and up to $10,000 for home improvements and upgrades.
On Tuesday, officials said they had to pause initial inspection applications because funding was exhausted.
This year, the state allocated $200 million to the program. However, there were already concerns that the program wasn’t going to meet the demand. The program also ran out of money last year.
My Safe Florida officials said the remaining funds will be utilized for home hardening grants and final inspections. Officials said the program remains fully operational for grant applicants who have completed their initial inspection.
Funding for the program was tied to the following prioritization requirements:
Grant Group 1 – Low-income homeowners age 60+ – July 1 – July 15
Grant Group 2 – Low-income homeowners of any age – July 16 – 30
Grant Group 3 – Moderate-income homeowners age 60+ – July 31 – Aug. 14
Grant Group 4 – Moderate-income homeowners of any age – Aug. 15 – 30
Grant Group 5 – All other eligible Florida homeowners – Aug. 31
According to the state, 106,000 home inspections have been conducted and 38,500 grant applications have been approved since 2022.
For more information, visit MySafeFLHome.com.