My Safe Florida Home Program pays $30,000
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Homeowners that took advantage of the My Safe Florida Home Program last year should start looking in their mailboxes for reimbursement - state officials say the checks are in the mail.

Representatives from the Florida Department of Financial Services announced that 10 grants totaling close to $30,000 were mailed out last week to homeowners who'd finished the inspection process for the program. That batch of checks is just the beginning, as department representatives say they received over 4,000 applications for the program.

The My Safe Florida Home Program is a hurricane mitigation project financed by a $250 million appropriation from the state legislature that offers free home inspections to qualified homeowners. The program helps Floridians identify how they can strengthen their homes and reduces the overall potential for hurricane damage in the state. The inspections recommend home hardening measures, such as heavy duty storm shutters for windows, and then the state reimburses homeowners for half, up to $5,000, of the cost of the authorized improvements made.

"I am excited that Floridians are hardening their homes before the next hurricane season starts with the help of the My Safe Florida Home program," said Florida's Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, who oversees the Department of Financial Services. "It is my goal to increase awareness about the financial and safety incentives available to homeowners that choose to mitigate their homes and better protect their families."

Officials added that only homeowners in five counties, Sarasota, Lee, Martin, Broward, and Palm Beach, have received checks so far. No checks have been mailed to Escambia or Santa Rosa County yet.

"Homeowners that had completed their work and gone through the correct process received compensation," said Brannon Jordan with the Financial Services Office.

Jordan also added that the program will probably be continued in some form in the future and that everyone involved with the 2006 phase should receive reimbursement.

Tiger Point resident Tony Basel was one of a small percentage of homeowners from Santa Rosa County to apply for the program. According to Jordan, Santa Rosa County residents made up less than one percent of all the applications they received, AND Escambia County residents composed nearly two percent. Basel said he received a free inspection, but may have inspectors come to his residence again before he makes any improvements.

"I can get 10 percent off my insurance premium if all of doors and windows have hurricane shutters," Basel said "I couldn't just do half of my house as I'd planned.

"I was pleased with the whole process. The [My Safe Florida Home] program is very well run and well documented. It looks like they crossed their T's and dotted all their I's as far as what homeowners need to do to secure their homes."