TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Governor Ron DeSantis desires extra Floridians to profit from the “My Protected Florida Dwelling” program, which supplies storm-hardening house enhancements for owners. And because the 2025 legislative session kicked off this week in Tallahassee, there’s renewed debate over offering funding for this system.
“We just lately proposed within the particular session for the legislature to fund the parents which can be on the waitlist, that didn’t occur. We nonetheless suppose that must be finished,” DeSantis mentioned.
Each the My Safe Florida Home and My Protected Florida Condominium applications are broadly well-liked, a lot so, lawmakers in Tampa Bay and past are taking a stab at increasing these efforts.
With week one of many legislative session now within the books, 15 bills have been filed surrounding the My Protected Florida Dwelling and Apartment applications.
State Consultant Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, is taking one other try at increasing this system to incorporate flood mitigation grants.
“I believe it is actually essential that we as a state assist to spend money on our residents and ensure that they proceed to reside in houses which can be secure. It has been devastating to see individuals lose their possessions and their reminiscences throughout these hurricanes,” Cross mentioned. “We wish to make our communities extra resilient. That is one step ahead to make that occur.”
Together with the array of payments, DeSantis proposed $600 million of the state’s funds to speculate into the house and apartment grant initiatives, following a second consecutive yr of funding shortages for the My Protected Florida Dwelling program.
“We have got people that went by this system that the legislature did, they acquired the inspection or (are) ready for an inspection, they’ve certified, now they want the grant, however this system ran out of cash. So we’re funding the waitlist in addition to having $100 million recuring going ahead,” DeSantis mentioned.
And because the governor and state lawmakers tout every program’s recognition, questions and issues rise round funding shortages.
“Might we sustain with complete demand for it? You recognize, possibly not as a result of it is most likely limitless demand, however actually these people which can be on the waitlist now, we wish to ensure that we get that finished in order that they’ll make the enhancements that they want,” DeSantis mentioned.
Information Channel 8 On Your Aspect took these questions and issues to lawmakers on the statehouse who’ve filed payments across the matter.
When requested whether or not the state was doing sufficient to fund these applications, State Consultant Christine Hunschofsky, D-Parkland, shared that there’s at all times room for extra.
“There may be at all times room for extra, however we additionally have to be ensuring that we’re not overextending our funds,” Hunschofsky mentioned. “In fact we might at all times need extra funding. Now we have to steadiness the funding on this program with all the opposite wants that we have now within the state of Florida.”
Hunschofsky is sponsoring laws to make it simpler for Floridians to entry funding by the My Protected Florida Apartment program.
With the slew of payments filed to date within the present legislative session, owners are one step nearer to accessing the My Protected Florida Dwelling grant cash, however identical to up to now, will that cash fade quick?
