DeSantis signs bills funding programs to protect Florida homes and condos from disasters

REDINGTON SHORES, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation on Wednesday adding $200 million to the My Safe Florida Home Program.

He also signed another bill creating a similar program for condo owners as well.

The programs aim to help reduce insurance rates by allowing for free home inspections to test and monitor architectural resiliency against natural disasters.

“This has already helped 152,000 Floridians across the state, but the program is oversubscribed, there’s a lot of demand, there’s a lot of people on the waiting list,” DeSantis said during a press conference. “This $200 million will go towards clearing the folks that are on the waiting list and any additional demand that comes.”

“The bill prioritizes seniors through the application process, because we understand many are on fixed incomes and very well may have older homes,” he said.

The governor explained that approving the $200 million means that, since May of 2022, the state has invested over $600 million into the program.

“And that’s been meaningful for folks, it improves their property, it strengthens their property, and if you look at the data it’ll stabilize and sometimes even reduce the insurance rates as a result of those improvements,” he said.

The funding bill, SB 7028, was pushed by Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, and by the Senate committee on Fiscal Policy, as well as the Banking and Insurance committee. In the House, it was brought by Rep. Chip LaMarca, R-Lighthouse Point.

DeSantis added how he’ll be approving $30 million in the state budget to help institute the condo expansion program.

“This is going to help the Coastal Condominium Association, harden condo infrastructure and protect against wind damage by creating a program similar to My Safe Florida Home,” he said.

HB 1029, the expansion program, was championed by Reps. Vicki Lopez, R-Miami, and Christine Hunchofsky, D-Parkland. Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-St. Petersburg, sponsored the Senate version.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton praised DeSantis and the legislature for their work and leadership in helping the state’s residents with the programs.

“The governor has consistently fought to make Florida communities more safe and more [resilient],” he said.

“We face unique challenges here in our state, but I can tell you, hands down, Florida’s definitely the most proactive at facing those challenges and making sure our inland and coastal communities are prepared for those challenges,” he added.

Wes Brooks, the state’s chief resilience officer, also commended the governor for his work to champion resiliency and protect Floridians.

“Governor, your exemplary leadership during Hurricanes Ian, Nicole and Idalia, and including the subsequent recoveries across large areas of our state was well documented,” Brooks said. “But what I want everyone here to understand is that our governor is determined and solutions-oriented approach means we all kept working long after the news cameras went home.”

DiCeglie thanked his fellow lawmakers for their work in passing the legislation and expressed his optimism for the expansion program.

“I anticipate this program being incredibly successful,” he said. “We wanna gather some data, we wanna make sure that process is going smoothly, and then hopefully in the next coming legislative sessions we can expand the program, because I guarantee you that that need is going to be there.”