Free home inspections and grants to
reduce hurricane damage
Florida - June 20, 2006
During the 2006 Legislative Session, the Florida Legislature approved
legislation that directs the Florida Department of Financial Services to
create a new program to help Floridians strengthen their homes against
hurricanes and to reduce hurricane damage exposure in our state.
The "Florida Comprehensive Hurricane Damage Mitigation Program" will offer
free home inspections and matching grants up to $5,000 for specific home
improvements to qualified homeowners. As required by the new law, our
department must take certain steps before the program can be implemented and
before homeowners can apply for inspections and grants.
This new program will offer an unprecedented opportunity to help thousands
of Floridians better protect themselves and their families against
hurricanes. The program will be a massive undertaking but is a priority for
our agency to have up and running as quickly as possible.
Tom
Gallagher
Chief Financial Officer, State of Florida
FOR HOMEOWNERS
STEP ONE: FREE HOME INSPECTIONS
To help Floridians identify how they can strengthen their homes against
hurricanes and to reduce hurricane damage exposure in our state, the Florida
Comprehensive Hurricane Damage Mitigation Program will offer free home
inspections by specially qualified wind-resistance inspectors to eligible
homeowners. You must apply to the Program and be approved in order to
receive the free inspection. Requesting or obtaining an inspection does not
guarantee or automatically qualify you for a grant.
1. Who will be eligible for free home inspections?
-
A Floridian whose
primary residence is a single-family, "site-built" home and
o
who has a
valid homestead exemption, and
o
whose home
has an insured value of less than $500,000.
-
A Floridian whose
primary residence is a unit in a residential building of up to four
units, and
o
who has a
valid homestead exemption, and
o
whose unit
has an insured value of less than $500,000.
NOTE: All unit owners in
a residential building must agree to participate in the program to be
eligible for free inspections.
Properties not eligible
for free home inspections include:
• Mobile homes or
manufactured homes
• Second homes
• Rental properties
• Apartments
• Businesses
2. When can I request an inspection?
We will have information available by August 2006 to inform Floridians when
they can begin to apply for free inspections.
4. Who can I use
to do an inspection?
When your application is approved, the Department of Financial Services will
notify you who will be available to perform the inspection. The new law
requires the Department to assemble a group of qualified inspectors who have
undergone background checks, have verified inspection experience and have
received specialized training in strengthening homes against hurricanes.
Outline what eligible improvements may be made to your home to increase
resistance to hurricane wind damage.
-
Provide a range of
how much each improvement would cost to do.
-
Explain what
insurance discounts may be available for each improvement.
-
Offer a hurricane
resistance rating scale that shows the home’s current ability, and
future ability with improvements, to withstand hurricanes.
NOTE: There are seven categories of improvements that are eligible for
matching grant dollars. The inspector’s report will detail each of these
as they relate to your home.
6. Does obtaining a free inspection obligate me to make any repairs or
upgrades to my residence?
No
STEP TWO: MATCHING GRANTS
To help Floridians strengthen their homes against hurricanes and to reduce
hurricane exposure in our state, the Florida Comprehensive Hurricane Damage
Mitigation Program will offer matching grants up to $5,000 for specific home
improvements identified in the home inspection reports. A completed
inspection does not automatically qualify you for or guarantee you will
receive a grant.
1. Who is eligible for the grant program?
Before a homeowner can apply, the home must have had an inspection done by a
Department of Financial Services-approved company or individual. A completed
inspection does not automatically qualify you for a grant or guarantee you
will receive a grant. Under the new law, the department must prioritize and
direct funds to areas that will help reduce the state’s hurricane exposure,
including less exposure in Citizens Property Insurance Corporation.
2. How much is available?
Individual homes will be eligible for matching grants of up to $5,000 each
to make specific home improvements as recommended in the inspection report.
A "matching grant" means that for every dollar of the homeowner’s own money
spent on a wind resistance upgrade recommended in the official inspection
report, the Program will provide an additional dollar to help pay for the
upgrade, up to a maximum grant of $5,000.
For
example:
-
If the recommended
improvements you have done cost $3,000, the state would pay $1,500 and
you would pay $1,500.
-
If the recommended
improvements you have done cost $20,000, the state would pay $5,000 and
you would pay the other $15,000.
Low-income homeowners will be eligible for $5,000 grants with no match
required. Matching grants will also be available to local governments and
non-profit entities for projects that will reduce hurricane damage to
single-family homes.
3. What must the money be used for?
Matching grant funds are available only for wind-resistance improvements in
seven specific categories, as follows:
-
Improving the
strength of your roof deck attachment. For example, if your roof
consists of shingles nailed to plywood sheets, the inspection may reveal
that the plywood sheets are not adequately nailed to your roof trusses,
and that additional nails and/or longer nails need to be added to
prevent the plywood from being blown off in a hurricane.
-
Creating a secondary
water barrier to prevent water intrusion. For example, using strips of
"peel and stick-on" material that cover the joints between the plywood
sheets on your roof to reduce leakage until repairs can be made if a
hurricane blows off your roof shingles.
-
Improving the
survivability of your roof covering. For example, upgrading to thicker
and stronger hurricane-resistant roof shingles, attached with properly
sized and properly applied roofing nails, to reduce the susceptibility
of your roof shingles blowing off in a hurricane.
-
Bracing gable-ends
in your roof framing. This is usually done inside your attic to decrease
chances that your roof will collapse under hurricane wind loads.
-
Reinforcing
roof-to-wall connections. For example, installing metal tie-down straps
that attach roof rafters to wall studs to decrease chances that all or a
portion of your roof will simply lift your house during a hurricane.
-
Upgrading exterior
wall opening protections. For example, installing hurricane-rated window
shutters.
-
Upgrading exterior
doors. For example, replacing a standard garage door with a
hurricane-rated garage door.
4. How do I apply for a matching grant?
Once you get your free inspection report as described above, and decide that
you will make some or all of the wind-resistance upgrades to your home as
recommended in that report, you will contact the Department of Financial
Services for a grant. The Department anticipates having detailed
instructions posted on this website in August 2006, telling homeowners how
to apply for the grants.
5. Who can I use to do the home improvements?
The Department of Financial Services will create and provide a list of
approved providers to qualified homeowners. The list will be available
online.
6. Can I go ahead and do home improvements and then get reimbursed by the
department?
Under the new law, the program cannot reimburse you for home improvements
that have already been done. You will have to apply for an inspection and
receive approval from the Department of Financial Services before any home
improvement contracts are signed and before the home improvements are done.
STEP THREE: TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR HOME
Matching grant funds are available only for wind-resistance improvements in
these seven specific categories, as follows:
Improving the strength of your roof deck attachment.
For example, if your roof consists of shingles nailed to plywood sheets, the
inspection may reveal that the plywood sheets are not adequately nailed to
your roof trusses, and that additional nails and/or longer nails need to be
added to prevent the plywood from being blown off in a hurricane.
Creating a secondary water barrier to prevent water intrusion.
For example, using strips of "peel and stick-on" material that cover the
joints between the plywood sheets on your roof to reduce leakage until
repairs can be made if a hurricane blows off your roof shingles.
Improving the survivability of your roof covering.
For example, upgrading to thicker and stronger hurricane-resistant roof
shingles, attached with properly sized and properly applied roofing nails,
to reduce the susceptibility of your roof shingles blowing off in a
hurricane.
Bracing gable-ends in your roof framing.
This is usually done inside your attic to decrease chances that your roof
will collapse under hurricane wind loads.
Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections.
For example, installing metal tie-down straps that attach roof rafters to
wall studs to decrease chances that all or a portion of your roof will
simply lift your house during a hurricane.
Upgrading exterior wall opening protections.
For example, installing hurricane-rated window shutters.
Upgrading exterior doors.
For example, replacing a standard garage door with a hurricane-rated garage
door.
