This time, Mayor Wagner and I sat down to discuss the “My Safe Florida Home” program that was approved this year for $280 million dollars to help homeowners strengthen their homes against hurricanes. To learn more, visit MySafeFLHome.com. It walks you through everything — from applying for the inspection to submitting your grant paperwork.
TY: We’re in the midst of hurricane season and have free guides for anyone to pick up from City Hall that discusses preparations and other valuable information. But there’s a program not referenced in the guide that can help our residents protect their homes from hurricanes and wind. Can you walk us through the My Safe Florida Home program and why it’s something Destin residents should be paying attention to?
BW: Absolutely. The My Safe Florida Home program is one of the smartest tools we have right now to help our residents prepare for storms. It provides free wind mitigation inspections and offers matching grants — up to $10,000 — to help homeowners make their properties safer. For a coastal city like Destin, this isn’t just helpful — it’s vital.
TY: For the wind inspections, they send a licensed inspector to evaluate your home at no cost. They check everything from your roof to your doors, windows, and structural attachments — essentially, anything that could be strengthened to reduce wind damage.
BW: Once you have your inspection report, you can apply for a matching grant. For every $1 you invest in strengthening your home, the state will match it with $2, up to $10,000. So, if you spend $5,000 of your own money, you can receive $10,000 more — giving you $15,000 in total improvements. We aren’t talking about cosmetic upgrades. We’re talking about improvements that could save lives and preserve property.
TY: It can also reduce insurance premiums.
BW: Yes, that’s a major bonus. Most of the approved upgrades are eligible for wind mitigation credits, which can significantly reduce your homeowner’s insurance. Some residents are seeing annual savings that pay back their investment in just a few years.
TY: Let’s talk eligibility. Who can apply?
BW: To qualify, there is criteria such as you must live in a single-family, site-built home, it must be your primary residence, the home must be valued at $700,000 or less, and you need to be located in a wind-borne debris region — which Destin absolutely is.
TY: I know the grant portal reopened on August 4th, but is there a deadline?
BW: There’s no fixed deadline, but I strongly urge residents to act now. The state legislature allocated specific funds to this program, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Be sure to have your 2024 taxes completed if you wish to qualify for one of the waves that require you to show household income. Qualifying in these early waves will significantly increase the chances that funding will be there for you to use.
