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FOR HOMEOWNERS
MATCHING GRANT APPLICATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE BY SEPTEMBER 1. PLEASE REMEMBER YOU MUST UNDERGO A FREE HOME INSPECTION FIRST BEFORE APPLYING TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A GRANT.
To help Floridians strengthen their homes against hurricanes and to reduce hurricane exposure in our state, the Florida Comprehensive Hurricane Damage Mitigation Program will offer matching grants up to $5,000 for specific home improvements identified in the home inspection reports. A completed inspection does not automatically qualify you for or guarantee you will receive a grant.
1. Who is eligible for the grant program?
Before a homeowner can apply, the home must have had an inspection done by a Department of Financial Services-approved company or individual. A completed inspection does not automatically qualify you for a grant or guarantee you will receive a grant. Under the new law, the department must prioritize and direct funds to areas that will help reduce the state’s hurricane exposure, including less exposure in Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.
2. How much is available?
Individual homes will be eligible for matching grants of up to $5,000 each to make specific home improvements as recommended in the inspection report. A “matching grant” means that for every dollar of the homeowner’s own money spent on a wind resistance upgrade recommended in the official inspection report, the Program will provide an additional dollar to help pay for the upgrade, up to a maximum grant of $5,000.
For example:
- If the recommended improvements you have done cost $3,000, the state would pay $1,500 and you would pay $1,500.
- If the recommended improvements you have done cost $20,000, the state would pay $5,000 and you would pay the other $15,000.
Low-income homeowners will be eligible for $5,000 grants with no match required. Matching grants will also be available to local governments and non-profit entities for projects that will reduce hurricane damage to single-family homes.
3. What must the money be used for?
Matching grant funds are available only for wind-resistance improvements in seven specific categories, as follows:
Improving the strength of your roof deck attachment. For example, if your roof consists of shingles nailed to plywood sheets, the inspection may reveal that the plywood sheets are not adequately nailed to your roof trusses, and that additional nails and/or longer nails need to be added to prevent the plywood from being blown off in a hurricane.
Creating a secondary water barrier to prevent water intrusion. For example, using strips of “peel and stick-on” material that cover the joints between the plywood sheets on your roof to reduce leakage until repairs can be made if a hurricane blows off your roof shingles.
Improving the survivability of your roof covering. For example, upgrading to thicker and stronger hurricane-resistant roof shingles, attached with properly sized and properly applied roofing nails, to reduce the susceptibility of your roof shingles blowing off in a hurricane.
Bracing gable-ends in your roof framing. This is usually done inside your attic to decrease chances that your roof will collapse under hurricane wind loads.
Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections. For example, installing metal tie-down straps that attach roof rafters to wall studs to decrease chances that all or a portion of your roof will simply lift your house during a hurricane.
Upgrading exterior wall opening protections. For example, installing hurricane-rated window shutters.
Upgrading exterior doors. For example, replacing a standard garage door with a hurricane-rated garage door.
4. How do I apply for a matching grant?
Once you get your free inspection report as described above, and decide that you will make some or all of the wind-resistance upgrades to your home as recommended in that report, you will contact the Department of Financial Services for a grant. The Department anticipates having detailed instructions posted on this website in August 2006, telling homeowners how to apply for the grants.
5. Who can I use to do the home improvements?
The Department of Financial Services will create and provide a list of approved providers to qualified homeowners. The list will be available online.
6. Can I go ahead and do home improvements and then get reimbursed by the department?
Under the new law, the program cannot reimburse you for home improvements that have already been done. You will have to apply for an inspection and receive approval from the Department of Financial Services before any home improvement contracts are signed and before the home improvements are done.
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