PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Redington Shores Wednesday morning.
DeSantis signed Senate Bill 7028 which will allocate $200 million to the My Florida Safe Home Program, which offers matching grants of up to $10,000 to households that enhance their homes with hurricane-safe doors and windows or replace their roofs.
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DeSantis claims these enhancements will lower insurance premiums and the bill will also prioritize seniors who are on the waiting list for needed upgrades to their homes.
Those changes include allowing applicants under the program to still receive inspections even if they’re not eligible for a mitigation grant.
The bill also would make additional changes by establishing new or updated requirements for homeowners under the program.
Additionally, DeSantis announced his commitment to signing $50 million to support beach nourishment projects.
“Florida’s coastlines are its first defense against a storm and ensuring that the state’s beaches are strong is important to protect our coastal infrastructure. With this investment, Florida will have invested over $550 million in dedicated funds to beach nourishment since 2019,” a news release from the governor’s office stated.
DeSantis also signed House Bill 1029 which will aim to create a similar pilot program for condo associations to apply for mitigation grants called the “My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program.”
“Strong infrastructure is the best way to protect against the impacts of a future hurricane,” he said. “We are making investments that strengthen our state, help homeowners strengthen their homes, and increase our coastal protection against a storm.”
The 2006 My Safe Florida Home “initiative entails mitigation inspections for single-family residences and offers grants to assist vulnerable households in fortifying their homes against hurricanes,” according to DeSantis.
He was joined by Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton, who voiced his support for Florida’s Governor.
“Governor DeSantis has consistently fought to make Florida’s communities more resilient and secured more funding than any governor before him,” said Hamilton. “As a result of these efforts, Florida is better positioned than ever to address the state’s resilience challenges.”
Should both bills be approved, they would become effective on July 1.
Local 10 viewers can watch the press conference here: