Program Updates to My Safe Florida Home

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) released new information about the My Safe Florida Home Program, a Florida Realtors® legislative priority.

Under the program, property owners can protect their homes against storms and reduce their insurance premiums. The program received an additional $200 million in the past legislative session along with other changes to make it more accessible. Changes begin July 1.

The DFS created a video that outlines program updates. A one-page document is also available that explains the changes. Some of the those changes include:

• Homeowners can choose any certified Florida state contractor to make important retrofit upgrades to their homes. (Contractors must be certified by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Local government licenses will not be accepted.)
• The current contractor list maintained by the program will cease to exist on July 1, 2024. It will be up to each homeowner to find and manage their own contractor in the open marketplace — which should lead to increased competition and better pricing.
• To consolidate the reimbursement process with one set of rules, all grant dollars will be paid directly to the Florida homeowner to distribute, including low-income grants.
• There will be a new application process for grants using a tiered approach to prioritize low- and moderate-income Floridians who are sixty and older.

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