REDINGTON SHORES, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation creating a program for condominium owners, which helps owners prepare their homes against hurricane damage and provides more money for a program for homeowners to prepare against storm damage.
He spoke Wednesday morning with Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton in Redington Shores.
House Bill 1029: My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program
This bill creates the My Safe Florida Home program for condo owners. The original, popular program is a grant people can apply for giving them a free home insurance inspection report providing them with information about their home’s hurricane readiness.
DeSantis announced that he will allot $30 million in the budget to institute the program.
“This is going to help the coastal condominium associations harden condo infrastructure and protect against wind damage,” he said. “I think that’s innovative. I think that’s gonna work.”
Condo associations could get up to $175,000 for window, doors and roof upgrades. Associations will need 100% approval from members to begin the application process, and that money could run out quickly when it launches in July.
"This program will go a long way in helping them pay for some of those costs, we want to make sure these buildings are resilient and structurally sound," State Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-Pinellas County), who co-sponsored the legislation, said. "And there are some insurance benefits with credits that will hopefully lower their [property insurance] premiums."
Senate Bill 7028: My Safe Florida Home Program
DeSantis also signed this piece of legislation, which adds $200 million to funding for the My Safe Florida Home Program.
“The new funding will provide grants for nearly 20,000 Floridians with special priority going to help Florida’s seniors and low-income homeowners first,” Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said in a statement.
DeSantis said the money will go toward clearing the waiting list and prioritizing seniors through the application process. He said this program has been meaningful because it has stabilized and, in some cases, reduced insurance rates for homeowners.
The program for single-family homeowners will also open up in July with changes over what applications will be prioritized.
The MSFH program says applications will be accepted and prioritized in 15-day increments.
- Low-income homeowners age 60+ – July 1 – July 15
- Low-income homeowners of any age – July 16 – 30
- Moderate-income homeowners age 60+ – July 31 – Aug. 14
- Moderate-income homeowners of any age – Aug. 15 – 29
- All other eligible Florida homeowners – Aug. 31
For more information about the program, click here.
What is the My Safe Florida Home Program?
The recommendations are for features like roofing materials, storm shutters, and hurricane clips among others. Getting inspections can help homeowners save money on insurance premiums, and homeowners who receive the free wind mitigation inspection can also apply for grant funds to pay for the improvements.
The state will match up to $10,000 of the costs homeowners pay for home improvements designed to protect against storm damage.
The program was relaunched in 2022 and has been previously funded three times. Today a backlog of applicants remains, and the injection of funding will help address that.
Other legislative bills passed recently
During this week, the governor has passed legislation related to environmental initiatives.
House Bill 1565: Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative
This comes after the governor signed House Bill 1565, which boosts red tide research and directs money toward expanding Florida’s Wildlife Corridor. This bill will allow the Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and MOTE Marine Laboratory to continue their efforts to address the impacts of red tide through technology.
It will go into effect on July 1.
Senate Bill 1638: Funding for Environmental Resource Management
The Florida Wildlife Corridor encompasses millions of acres of land that are protected. Earlier this month, DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1638 giving $100 million to the area from the Seminole Gaming Compact revenue.
He also announced a $1.5 billion investment in Everglades restoration and other water improvement projects on Monday. Here’s a breakdown of the investment:
$860 million to Everglades restoration projects
$100 million for the second phase of the C-51 Reservoir, which supports the water needs of Palm Beach and Broward counties
$530 million for targeted water improvement projects
$135 million for programs to reduce harmful nutrients in waterways like septic-to-sewer and wastewater treatment upgrades
$100 million to support the Indian River Lagoon
$45 million for water quality improvements in Biscayne Bay and the Caloosahatchee Estuary
Details about the conference
DeSantis' visit comes a day after President Joe Biden touched down in Air Force One for a brief campaign visit in Tampa. Biden blamed former President Donald Trump for Florida's upcoming six-week abortion ban, arguing Trump created a "healthcare crisis for women all over this country.”
The state’s six-week abortion ban is poised to go into effect May 1 at the same time that Florida voters are gearing up for a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution.
DeSantis, a Republican, said at a news conference before the visit that the abortion amendment was written in a way to deliberately mislead voters, an argument that the state Supreme Court disagreed with when it approved the ballot language.
“All I can tell you is Floridians are not buying what Joe Biden is selling and in November we’re going to play an instrumental role in sending him back to Delaware where he belongs," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.