Ft. Lauderdale – On behalf of Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program, Senator Steve Geller (D-Hallandale Beach) will personally deliver a matching grant reimbursement for $5,000 to a Ft. Lauderdale homeowner who hardened his home through the state’s MSFH program. 

As CFO, Sink oversees the state’s MSFH program, which helps Floridians identify how they can strengthen their homes and reduce the overall potential for hurricane damage in our state. The MSFH program offers eligible homeowners a free wind inspection by trained and qualified hurricane mitigation inspectors.

Homeowners who have received these inspections and meet additional criteria set by the Legislature may also have the opportunity to apply for matching grants of up to $5,000 to make recommended improvements.

The MSFH program resumed offering wind inspections and expanded statewide this year after conducting a pilot program during the previous year in 2006.  Since April 2007, the MSFH program has performed over 86,000 free wind inspections.  More than 9,512 homeowners have been approved for matching grants and are working with the MSFH program to harden their homes.  Statewide, the program has issued a grand total of more than 1,010 grants to homeowners for more than $3.1 million.

To date, the program has reimbursed 183 homeowners in Broward County for a total of $614,549.36.  Currently there are, 2,834 homeowners in Broward County hardening their homes through the MSFH program.  These homeowners are being reimbursed for half the cost up to $5,000 on a variety of home improvements, including hurricane shutters, reinforced garage doors and bracing gable ends.

The check presentation will be held:

DATE: Tuesday, September 11, 2007    
TIME:  2:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Home of Daniel Lyden
                   2412 Key Largo Lane
                   Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312-4604