My Safe Florida Home in 2026: Who Qualifies, What the Grant Pays
$10,000. That's the most the state will put toward hardening one Florida home under the My Safe Florida Home program, and under s. 215.5586, Florida Statutes most homeowners who get it put in $1 of their own for every $2 the state pays. Low-income homeowners can get up to the same $10,000 with no match at all.
The program has two parts. First, a wind mitigation inspection the state pays for. Second, a grant for the upgrades that inspection recommends: impact windows and doors, roof-to-wall straps, better roof-deck nailing, a sealed roof deck. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) runs it, and it only exists as long as the Legislature keeps paying for it. The statute says so in plain words: it creates no entitlement.
The 2026-27 state budget carried forward about $378.3 million in unspent program balances rather than adding new money, and a new law (ch. 2026-174) rewrote who qualifies. Here's what the program looks like now, who gets in, and how the inspection report should show up on your homeowners policy.
Source: s. 215.5586, Florida Statutes (2026); 2026-27 General Appropriations Act (HB 5001E), Section 157.
Where the program stands in October 2026
As of October 21, 2026, mysafeflhome.com is taking sign-ups and advertising inspections and $10,000 grants. Its home page invites homeowners to create an account, and I found no notice there or in the program FAQ that the portal is closed. A "Program Updates" box on the same page says the program intends to keep taking contact information from interested parties as the Legislature considers new opportunities, so part of what the portal does right now may be collecting interest rather than moving every file forward. Whether there's an inspector slot or grant money for you this month is a different question.
What I can't tell you is how fast your file will move. The FAQ says applications open on a phased schedule that starts with low-income applicants 60 or older, and it gives no specific dates. DFS hasn't put out a 2026 press release about the program: I went through its press release list for this year and found none on an opening, a closing or results. So treat anything you read elsewhere about a "launch date" with suspicion, and check the program site for where your group stands.
The program has been here before. The original version, created in 2006, got $250 million, did more than 391,000 inspections and about 39,000 grants by January 2009, and then lost its funding on June 30, 2009, according to the Senate staff analysis of SB 1452. Programs that live on yearly appropriations can stop. If you qualify, don't sit on it.
The money, year by year
The Legislature brought the program back in a May 2022 special session and put new money in every year from 2022 through 2025. That adds up to about $913.5 million across five appropriations, counting the two 2023 rounds separately.
Source: Florida Senate Rules Committee staff analysis, CS/CS/SB 1452 (March 5, 2026); HB 5001E (2026-27 GAA), Section 157
Show the numbers
| Appropriated ($M) | |
|---|---|
| 2022 | $150.0M |
| 2023 | $102.1M |
| 2023-C | $181.5M |
| 2024 | $200.0M |
| 2025 | $280.0M |
| 2026-27* | $378.3M |
Read that last bar carefully. In the 2026-27 budget (HB 5001E, ch. 2026-232), Section 157 takes the program's unexpended balances as of 2025-26, reverts them, and appropriates them again to DFS for 2026-27. I searched the enacted budget text for the program and for "Hurricane Mitigation" and found only that section and the condo pilot section. No fresh dollars. That matters because what's on the table now is money the program hadn't spent, not a new pot.
| Line (Section 157) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Mitigation Grants | $342,597,333 |
| Hurricane Mitigation Inspections | $19,611,525 |
| Operations and Administration | $16,000,000 |
| Education, Consumer Awareness and Outreach | $127,340 |
| Total | $378,336,198 |
Source: 2026-27 General Appropriations Act (HB 5001E, enrolled), Section 157. Any money remaining in the other lines goes to grants. Section 158 separately carries forward $27.1 million for the condominium pilot ($26,766,503 grants, $349,370 inspections).
About nine of every ten carried-forward dollars (90.6%) sit in the grants line. The inspection line is about $19.6 million, and nobody gets a grant without a program inspection first. If you think you qualify, the inspection is the step to start now.
Who qualifies now
There are two sets of rules: one for the inspection, a tighter one for the grant. You can get the inspection without qualifying for or applying for a grant (s. 215.5586(1)(c)).
| Requirement | Inspection | Grant |
|---|---|---|
| Type of home | Single-family unit on its own parcel, detached or attached up to 3 stories | Same |
| Construction | Site-built | Site-built |
| Occupancy | Owner-occupied, with a homestead exemption | Same |
| Dwelling insured value | Not a requirement | $700,000 or less |
| Year built | Not a requirement | Before January 1, 2008, per the county property appraiser's website |
| Household income | Not a requirement | Low or moderate income under s. 420.0004 |
| Program inspection | n/a | Done within 24 months before you apply for the grant |
| Other conditions | n/a | Agree to a final inspection; agree to give DFS your insurer's information on the discounts you got |
Source: s. 215.5586(1)(a) and (2)(a), Florida Statutes (2026).
Who's out: the program FAQ lists multi-family homes (apartments, duplexes, triplexes), condominiums, cooperatives, retirement homes, mobile and manufactured homes, second homes, vacation homes and rentals. If you own a condo unit, this program isn't your route; the Florida condo insurance page covers what your own unit policy handles.
The income test. "Low income" in s. 420.0004(11) means household adjusted gross income no more than 80% of the state median or of the median for your metro area (or county, outside a metro area), whichever is greater. "Moderate income" in s. 420.0004(12) means under 120% of the same figure. Because the test uses whichever median is higher, a homeowner in a higher-income metro gets a higher ceiling. The program may accept a signed certification of income and age under penalty of perjury instead of tax returns, though the program decides what it requires. Either way, you're signing your name to it.
The age test. "Built before January 1, 2008" is measured by what the county property appraiser's website shows, not by your permit file. Look your parcel up on the property appraiser's site in Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Duval or wherever you are before you start, so you know what the program will see.
What SB 1452 changed
CS/CS/CS/SB 1452, the 2026 DFS package, became ch. 2026-174 and took effect June 26, 2026. Section 5 rewrote the program statute. Some of it puts into permanent law what the program was already doing; some is new.
| Issue | What ch. 2026-174 does |
|---|---|
| Attached homes (townhomes) | Attached single-family homes up to 3 stories can get the full range of improvements, including roof replacement when recommended |
| How home age is measured | Construction date on the county property appraiser's website, instead of the initial permit date |
| $700,000 insured value cap | Puts into statute the removal of the exemption that let low-income homes over $700,000 qualify |
| Income limit on grants | Puts into statute that grants go only to low- and moderate-income homeowners |
| Inspection to grant application | Grant application within 24 months of the initial inspection |
| Finishing the work | 18 months after approval to complete it, without requesting an extension |
| Proof of age | Applicants may self-certify their age |
| Unanswered requests | "Withdrawn" becomes "abandoned," with at least 5 business days' notice first |
| Sunset | Removes the July 1, 2026 expiration relating to mitigation grants |
Source: Senate Rules Committee staff analysis of CS/CS/SB 1452 (March 5, 2026); SB 1452 bill history; My Safe Florida Home FAQ, 2026 townhome update; checked against s. 215.5586 (2026).
The townhome fix is the one that changes outcomes. Before the bill was signed, the program FAQ said it would let townhomes receive roof improvement grants like single-family homes, and the staff analysis says the change also addresses property appraiser classifications that label some detached homes as condos. If you own a two-story townhome on its own parcel with a homestead exemption and were turned away from roof work before, look again.
What the grant pays
The match is written into s. 215.5586(2)(c): $1 from you for every $2 from the state, with the state's share capped at $10,000. Put differently, the state covers two-thirds of the project cost until its share hits $10,000, which happens at a $15,000 project. Past that, every extra dollar is yours.
| Project | State | You | Your share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $6,000 | $4,000 | $2,000 | 33% |
| $9,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 | 33% |
| $15,000 | $10,000* | $5,000 | 33% |
| $20,000 | $10,000* | $10,000 | 50% |
Source: s. 215.5586(2)(c); the $9,000, $15,000 and $20,000 rows match the worked examples in the My Safe Florida Home FAQ. *State share capped at $10,000. Example costs are illustrations, not quotes.
Low-income applicants, as defined in s. 420.0004(11), work differently under s. 215.5586(2)(h): a grant of up to $10,000 with no matching amount. The FAQ adds a practical difference. Matching grants need a paid-in-full contractor invoice before you're reimbursed; low-income grants don't.
Two more limits. DFS can set maximum grant allowances for each type of improvement by rule, and it can require improvements to all openings as a condition of reimbursement (s. 215.5586(2)(g)). And the money comes after the work: payment is by draw request once the job is done and the final inspection is in. Approval has to come before construction starts. Start the job early and you risk paying for all of it yourself.
The Legislature says it intends these grants to count as disaster-relief assistance under section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code (s. 215.5586(10)). How that applies to your return is a question for a tax professional, not for me.
What the grant pays for, and who goes first
Only what your initial inspection recommends, and only what the final inspection then sees. The statute lists two groups (s. 215.5586(2)(e)):
- Opening protection: exterior doors, garage doors, windows and skylights. Think impact-rated products.
- Roof improvements: reinforcing the roof-to-wall connection (clips or straps), improving roof-deck attachment (nailing), adding secondary water resistance (a sealed roof deck under the covering), and replacing the roof covering.
Those are the same features the state's uniform wind mitigation form scores. That's not a coincidence, and it's the whole point: the grant pays for upgrades that show up as answers on the form your insurer uses to price wind credits. The wind mitigation inspection post walks through that form question by question.
When money is short, order matters. The statute sets five tiers. Applications can't be accepted before an appropriation takes effect, and once the program initially starts accepting them, each later tier waits its turn:
| Tier | Who | Can start |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low-income, age 60 or older | Day 0 |
| 2 | Other low-income | 15 days |
| 3 | Moderate-income, age 60 or older | 30 days |
| 4 | Other moderate-income | 45 days |
| 5 | All other inspection applicants | 60 days |
Source: s. 215.5586(2)(i)2 and 3, Florida Statutes (2026).
Tier 5 is people who want only the inspection, since a grant now requires low or moderate income. They can still get one; they just go last.
Step by step
Here's the sequence as the program site and statute lay it out. Watch the deadlines in steps 7, 9 and 10; that's where files die.
- Create an account in the participant portal at mysafeflhome.com. The verification email comes from the program's software vendor, so check spam.
- Answer the prioritization questionnaire. The site says it "helps us understand your home's condition and determine inspection scheduling."
- Wait for an inspection group. The site says it places homeowners into groups 1 to 5 several times a week and emails you when you're placed.
- Complete the inspection application with home details and your availability. You can't bring your own inspector; the program assigns a licensed one it has contracted with, who confirms a date.
- Read the report. By statute it has to summarize results, list recommended improvements with a range of cost estimates, and include estimated premium discount information.
- Get bids and pick a licensed contractor. You choose; the program recommends bids from at least three and no longer keeps a contractor list. Check licenses at MyFloridaLicense.com. Work must be permitted and done by licensed contractors.
- Apply for the grant within 24 months of the inspection. The application must name your intended contractor and its state license number, and include the declarations page of your current homeowners policy.
- Wait for approval before any work starts. Work begun before approval risks being yours to pay in full.
- Finish the work and request the final inspection within 18 months of approval, or the application is deemed abandoned and the money goes back to DFS. Close out your permits first: the FAQ says you get one shot at the final inspection.
- Answer DFS within 60 days if it asks for more information. If you don't, the application can be deemed abandoned; DFS has to warn you at least 5 business days before, and a good-cause answer within those 5 business days can save it.
- Submit the draw request with the contractor's invoice, proof of payment (not required for low-income grants), and proof of the insurance discounts. The check comes by mail.
Program call center, per the FAQ: 561-640-6734.
The insurance side: getting the discount
This is where the program pays off year after year, and where people leave money on the table by never sending in the paperwork.
Insurers have to offer mitigation discounts. Under s. 627.0629(1), every residential property rate filing in Florida must include actuarially reasonable discounts, credits, other rate differentials or deductible reductions for features shown to cut windstorm losses: roof strength, roof covering, roof-to-wall strength, opening protection and more. The law doesn't set a dollar amount or a percentage, and I won't guess one; it varies by insurer and by the rest of your house. Since October 1, 2023, each insurer also has to describe its hurricane mitigation discounts on its website.
You have to be told. Section 627.711(1) requires your insurer to notify you, on a form OIR prescribes, at issue and at every renewal, of the mitigation discounts available and their range.
The form is standard. Discounts run off the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802, adopted by Rule 69O-170.0155 and updated effective April 1, 2026. Insurers must accept it when it's signed by a qualified inspector (s. 627.711(2)(a)), though an insurer may have it independently verified at its own expense (s. 627.711(9)), and the form itself says it's valid for up to five years if nothing material changes and no inaccuracies are found.
The discount lands on the hurricane line. Florida premium notices must show the hurricane premium separately (s. 627.0629(4)). The program site tells homeowners to share the inspection report with their insurer to make sure they get the discounts available on that hurricane portion.
Grantees report back. If you take a grant, you agree to give DFS your insurer's information on the discounts the funded work produced (s. 215.5586(2)(a)6), and proof of those discounts is part of the draw request.
| When | What to do, and why |
|---|---|
| After the initial inspection | Ask your insurer whether the program report or a uniform form (OIR-B1-1802) is what it needs, and send it. Features you already have may earn credits now |
| After the final inspection | Send the final inspection report to your insurer or agent. The program FAQ says to do this to request discounts, and the draw request needs proof of them |
| Next premium notice | Find the hurricane premium and the wind mitigation credit lines on the declarations page. Each credit should tie to a feature on the form |
| At renewal | Read the mitigation discount notice, required at every renewal by s. 627.711(1) |
| Shopping or switching | Send the form with every quote request. It describes the house, not the policy |
Source: s. 627.0629; s. 627.711; My Safe Florida Home FAQ (draw request steps); Rule 69O-170.0155, F.A.C.
Mitigation also connects to two other things on your policy. A new roof covering paid partly by the grant changes your roof's age, which is how many underwriting questions start; the Florida roof age law post covers what insurers can and can't do based on age. And s. 627.0629 lists deductible reductions alongside discounts and credits as ways insurers can recognize mitigation, so ask how your insurer applies it; the hurricane deductible post explains how Florida's percentage hurricane deductibles work. If you want to see where the credits sit on a policy, the Florida home insurance page covers the rest of the coverage picture.
My read: the inspection is worth getting even if you never touch the grant. It documents what your house already has, it's paid for by the state, and the report tells you which upgrade would move your wind credits most. Then you decide whether the math works.
FAQ
Is My Safe Florida Home still open?
As of October 2026, mysafeflhome.com is taking sign-ups and advertising inspections and grants of up to $10,000. The program FAQ says applications open in phases starting with low-income applicants 60 or older, without specific dates, so check the site for your group's status.
What are the My Safe Florida Home income limits?
Grants go only to low- or moderate-income homeowners under s. 420.0004: low income is up to 80% and moderate income is under 120% of the state median or the local metro (or county) median, whichever is greater.
How much is the My Safe Florida Home grant?
The state pays $2 for every $1 you pay, up to $10,000 from the state. Low-income applicants can get up to $10,000 with no match. The grant is paid after the work is done and passes the final inspection.
Can I get a My Safe Florida Home inspection without a grant?
Yes. Florida law lets an eligible homeowner get the program inspection without qualifying for or applying for a grant. Applicants who aren't low or moderate income are reviewed last.
Your own policy wording, the program's current rules and Florida law control. Confirm your situation with a licensed agent, the Florida Department of Financial Services or Office of Insurance Regulation, or, for legal questions, an attorney.
Sources
- Florida Statutes s. 215.5586, My Safe Florida Home Program (2026)
- Florida Statutes s. 420.0004, definitions of low-income and moderate-income persons (2026)
- Florida Statutes s. 627.0629, residential property rate filings and mitigation discounts (2026)
- Florida Statutes s. 627.711, mitigation discount notice and uniform mitigation verification form (2026)
- Rule 69O-170.0155, F.A.C., Forms (OIR-B1-1802)
- Florida Administrative Register Ref-18852: OIR-B1-1802 (Rev. 04/26)
- 2026-27 General Appropriations Act, HB 5001E (enrolled), Sections 157-158
- HB 5001E (2026 Special Session E) bill page
- CS/CS/CS/SB 1452 (2026), Department of Financial Services, ch. 2026-174
- Florida Senate Rules Committee staff analysis of CS/CS/SB 1452 (March 5, 2026)
- My Safe Florida Home Program (Florida DFS)
- My Safe Florida Home: Frequently Asked Questions
- Florida DFS press releases
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax or insurance advice. Coverage depends on the actual policy, its terms, conditions and exclusions, and state law. Maru Insurance · WA License (WAOIC) #1365574 · FL License #G363233 · NPN 22261820.