Home-hardening funding sent to DeSantis

Gov. Ron DeSantis has received a proposal that would pump another $200 million into a home-hardening grant program designed to help reduce property-insurance costs. The measure (SB 7028), was passed during the 2024 legislative session that ended last month. Lawmakers during a November special legislative session steered $176.17 million to the popular My Safe Florida Home program to cover a backlog of 17,600 grant applications. The program offers grants up to $10,000 to help residents upgrade homes and qualify for property-insurance discounts for residences valued up to $700,000. A separate measure (HB 1029) also awaiting action by DeSantis would create a pilot program that would allow condominium associations to be eligible for My Safe Florida inspections and grants. Lawmakers in 2022 earmarked $215 million for the grants as they relaunched the program, which is administered by the state Department of Financial Services, to address the state’s property-insurance problems. The program was initially created in 2006 but later became dormant. As part of this year’s proposed increased funding for the program, the department would be prohibited from accepting applications or creating a waiting list when funding runs out. DeSantis has until May 7 to act on both bills.