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The My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program that was enacted last year proved to be very popular with condominium communities in need of storm-hardening renovations and improvements. The program exhausted its total budget and stopped accepting applications less than a week after its launch, and the state’s lawmakers made some changes earlier this year that should expand its eligibility to more communities.
Similar to the My Safe Florida Home program, the pilot program provides grants for inspections and wind mitigation work on condo buildings within 15 miles of the coast, with up to $175,000 available per association. The eligible improvements help strengthen buildings’ structural resilience and better protect against hurricane-related damage.
The updates enacted this year under House Bill 393 will take effect immediately upon its expected gubernatorial approval. The changes aim to clarify eligibility, streamline the application process, and improve funding structures.
The new amendments specify that detached units located on individually owned parcels are excluded from the program’s definition of a condominium. Eligibility will be limited to condominium buildings that are three or more stories in height and contain at least two single-family dwellings.
For associations to qualify for the grants, they will need to be in compliance with the state’s milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study requirements. The initial state-funded inspection requires approval from a majority of the board of directors or a majority of the total voting interests.
One of the biggest changes from last year is the voting threshold for unit-owner approval to apply for a grant. In 2024, mitigation grants required 100 percent owner approval, which is almost always very difficult to achieve for associations. The new amendments call for at least 75 percent approval by the unit owners.
Other important changes are aimed at tying the program’s grants to reductions in insurance premiums. Grant funds may only be used for improvements that are identified in the final hurricane mitigation inspection and result in a mitigation credit, discount or other rate differential on an association’s insurance. The hardening improvements must also include all the necessary openings for a building to qualify for a mitigation credit.
The qualifying items for grant funds include: exterior doors, garage doors, windows, skylights, and roofing. Windows must be classified as common elements in the association’s declaration to qualify for funding.
The state will continue to match funds on a two-to-one basis, meaning for every $1 contributed by an association for actual project costs, the grant will provide $2. All other funding formulas, which had specified specific rates and maximums for new roofs and windows, have been eliminated.
Some aspects of the program have not changed, including the total funding of $30 million, so the prospects remain high for all the available funds to be quickly allocated and exhausted. Associations should start by completing and submitting the brief online form at www.mysafeflcondo.com to ensure they are notified once applications resume later this year. They should also begin owner outreach to help ensure they will be able to secure the necessary 75 percent approval once their application is underway.
With all the financial pressures that many condominium associations are facing, applying for these funds helps to demonstrate that their directors are committed to leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to help owners afford budget increases stemming from hardening improvements and rising insurance rates.
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