Funds continue for hurricane prep
Gulf Breeze family installs hurricane shutters with My Safe Home funds
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Franklin Hayes/Gulf Breeze News Gulf Breeze resident Kristi Basel tests out her new hurricane shutters. The Basel family hopes to be reimbursed by the state for hurricane mitigation, thanks to the My Safe Florida Home Program.

The State of Florida is actively giving away money for private home hurricane mitigation and at least one local resident is making sure he doesn't miss out.

Tony Basel is one of thousands of Floridians to participate in the pilot version of the $250 million My Safe Florida Home Program. According to the program's website, www.mysafelfloridahome. com, more than 50,000 Florida residents received free wind inspections as part of the experimental project launched in 2006. The program, made permanent by recent legislation, offers free wind inspections to eligible homeowners and reimburses them with matching grants of up to $5,000 for approved hurricane mitigation work completed.

Basel, who lives near Tiger Point, completed his inspection in April of this year and discovered he could be reimbursed for installing hurricane shutters on all of his home's windows and doors. After completing some mandatory paper work and locating an approved contractor, Basel had the shutters installed and is now awaiting reimbursement from the state and a discount from his insurance company.

"I'm glad the job got done when it did," Basel said. "Obviously, since hurricane season peaks in September I'm about a month ahead of the peak."

To qualify for the program, residents of Florida must live at least 6 months out of the year in a single-family detached, sitebuilt home that was built before 2002, has an insured value of $300,000 or less, has a valid homestead exemption and is located in the wind-borne debris region. The region includes most of Santa Rosa County and all of Escambia County.