Bill to expand My Safe Florida Home Program to condos goes to governor

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A popular program to help homeowners lower their insurance premiums likely will be expanding to condos.

On Wednesday, Florida’s House and Senate unanimously approved starting the My Safe Florida Home Program for condominum associations.

One of the sponsors of the bill, Democrat Christine Huschofsky, of Parkland, said there is a strong demand to bring the program to condos.

“It can help with some of the roof hardening work that can be done,” she said. “Condominium associations are allowed up to $175,000 to help along with that and they have to have board approval and there is a $30 million allocation right now. It’s only a pilot program so we get to see what works and what doesn’t work and how the program is implemented and to go from there.”

The bill goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature and he is expected to sign it.

Individual homeowners cannot apply for the grant. It must go through their condo association.

The My Safe Florida Home Program currently offers up to $10,000 in state grant money for single-family homeowners to harden their homes with the goal of bringing down their insurance rates.

“You have to go through your condo association,” Huschofsky said. “For example a condo unit owner can’t do hardening with the roof, that has to be done by the association. It will be an association focus grant program.”