Nearly 14,000 Florida homeowners may get state aid to make their homes more windstorm resistant, a top Florida insurance regulator said today.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Adelaide “Alex” Sink said nearly 14,000 recipients of free home inspections will soon receive applications for matching grants along with their inspection reports.

“The 2007 hurricane season is rapidly approaching, and we want to arm these homeowners as quickly as possible with the information they need to protect their homes against the devastating effects of hurricanes,” said Ms. Sink, who oversees the Department of Financial Services.

The program, funded with $250 million by the Florida Legislature, was created in the final days of the legislative session last year to better protect Floridians by strengthening their homes against hurricanes and to reduce the state's exposure to hurricane damage.

To be eligible for a free home inspection, Floridians must live in a single-family, site-built home with an insured value of $500,000 or less and have a valid homestead exemption.

Florida lawmakers approved amendments to the program this week that exempt low income homeowners from the requirement that their home be insured for less than $500,000, stating the home does not have to be insured.

In addition, the Legislature approved creation of a windstorm mitigation study commission to issue a report by early March.

The inspection reports and matching grant applications will be mailed over the next several weeks. Inspection reports provide the following information to homeowners: their home's current strength against a hurricane on a 0-100 scale; ways homeowners can improve their home's strength; a cost estimate for the recommended improvements; and the amount of savings homeowners can anticipate on their wind insurance premiums if the improvements are made.

Homeowners choosing to make the recommended improvements are eligible to receive matching grants from the state up to $5,000.

The grant funds must be used to implement improvements specified in the inspection reports, and homeowners will be required to use participating contractors. The list of participating contractors, organized by county and type of work performed, will be available online at www.mysafefloridahome.com, beginning later this week.

Special Reports /

Floridians Seek Home Aid

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