Are There Other Hurricane Protection Grants in Florida Besides My Safe Florida Home?
Yes, some Florida counties and municipalities offer their own hurricane hardening assistance programs in addition to the state’s My Safe Florida Home Program — however, these local programs typically have limited funding, restricted eligibility, and vary significantly from one jurisdiction to another. The My Safe Florida Home Program remains the largest and most widely available hurricane protection grant program in the state. Here’s what you need to know about the different options.
My Safe Florida Home: The State’s Primary Hurricane Protection Grant Program
The My Safe Florida Home Program is Florida’s flagship hurricane hardening initiative. Administered by the Florida Department of Financial Services, it provides free wind mitigation inspections and matching grants up to $10,000 to eligible homeowners statewide.
The program covers impact windows and doors, hurricane shutters, storm panels, and roof improvements when recommended by your program inspection. For the 2025–2026 funding cycle, the program received $280 million in new appropriations and prioritizes low-income and moderate-income homeowners.
Key advantages of My Safe Florida Home include statewide availability, substantial funding, a standardized application process, and the ability to work with any licensed contractor whose products meet program requirements, including authorized contractors like Storm Smart.
County and Municipal Hurricane Hardening Programs: Limited Local Options
Some Florida counties and cities have established their own hurricane protection assistance programs. These programs are funded through local budgets, federal grants (such as FEMA hazard mitigation funding), or special taxing districts. They operate independently from My Safe Florida Home and have their own eligibility requirements, covered improvements, and application processes.
However, there are important limitations to understand about local programs:
Limited availability: Not all counties or cities offer such programs. Many Florida jurisdictions have no local hurricane hardening assistance at all.
Restricted eligibility: Local programs often have stricter requirements than My Safe Florida Home. Many are limited to homestead properties, specific income levels, or homes in designated high-risk areas.
Limited funding: Local program budgets are typically much smaller than the state program, meaning funding can be exhausted quickly and waitlists are common.
Varying requirements: Each local program sets its own rules for eligible improvements, contractor requirements, and reimbursement processes. What works in one county may not apply in another.
Storm Smart’s Partnership Status: My Safe Florida Home Only
Storm Smart is an authorized contractor with the My Safe Florida Home Program, meaning our products meet the program’s HVHZ rating and wind mitigation certification requirements. Homeowners with approved My Safe Florida Home grants can use their funding toward Storm Smart installations.
However, Storm Smart does not have formal partnerships or contractor agreements with county or municipal hurricane hardening programs. If you’re participating in a local program, you’ll need to verify directly with that program whether our products qualify and what documentation they require.
This doesn’t mean you can’t use Storm Smart for a locally-funded project, it simply means we cannot guarantee our products will meet a specific local program’s requirements without you first confirming those details with the program administrators.
How to Find Hurricane Protection Programs in Your Florida County
If you want to explore local hurricane hardening assistance in addition to (or instead of) My Safe Florida Home, here’s how to research your options:
Contact your county’s emergency management office: This department typically administers hazard mitigation programs and can tell you what’s available in your area.
Check with your county’s building department: Some retrofit programs are administered through building or community development departments.
Search your county government website: Look for terms like “hurricane hardening,” “wind mitigation,” “home retrofit,” or “hazard mitigation assistance.”
Ask about FEMA hazard mitigation grants: Some counties receive federal funding for residential mitigation projects, particularly after declared disasters.
Keep in mind that local programs may have different timelines, requirements, and processes than My Safe Florida Home. Factor in the administrative complexity when deciding which program(s) to pursue.
Can You Combine My Safe Florida Home with Local Hurricane Protection Grants?
In some cases, homeowners may be able to use multiple funding sources for hurricane protection improvements but this depends on the specific rules of each program. Some programs prohibit “double-dipping” where the same improvement is funded by multiple grants. Others may allow you to use different grants for different improvements.
If you’re considering combining programs, contact each program directly to understand their policies on overlapping funding. Be transparent about your intentions, failing to disclose other grant funding could result in having to repay funds or being disqualified from future assistance.
Our Recommendation: Start with My Safe Florida Home
For most Florida homeowners, the My Safe Florida Home Program is the best starting point for hurricane protection funding. It offers the largest grants, the broadest eligibility, and a standardized process that works consistently across the state.
If you don’t qualify for My Safe Florida Home, or if you want to supplement your grant with additional funding, then researching local programs makes sense. But given the limited availability and varying requirements of local programs, we recommend securing your My Safe Florida Home funding first before exploring other options.
Schedule a Free Storm Smart Consultation
Have questions about hurricane protection funding? Contact Storm Smart for a free consultation. We can discuss your My Safe Florida Home project and help you understand your options. Learn more about how Storm Smart works with the My Safe Florida Home Program.
