safe homes

Here is the latest info from Florida CFO Alex Sink:

CFO SINK ANNOUNCES NEW ONLINE SEARCH FOR CONTRACTORS PARTICIPATING IN THE MY SAFE FLORIDA HOME PROGRAM

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink Wednesday announced the launch of a new online search tool that will help Florida homeowners participating in the My Safe Florida Home program find approved contractors. By visiting www.mysafefloridahome.com, homeowners will be able to search by county or type of work performed from a universe of nearly 150 contractors approved to participate with the program.

“Today we are giving Florida homeowners the tools to make informed choices about the professionals they hire to help them improve their homes,” said CFO Sink, who oversees the Department of Financial Services. “Floridians looking to harden their homes can turn to the My Safe Florida Home website and know that the contractors who participate with us are properly trained to perform essential hurricane mitigation improvements.”

Nearly 14,000 Florida homeowners have received a free home inspection and are currently in the process of receiving their completed inspection reports with recommended home improvements. To be eligible for matching grants of up to $5,000, homeowners choosing to make one or more of the recommended mitigation techniques must use a participating contractor.

To become a participating contractor with the My Safe Florida Home program, all contractors must be licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation or by a local authority for the work that they are performing through the program. All participating contractors must also complete or already have completed a four-hour course on residential wind-resistance retrofit improvements. As additional contractors qualify, the website will be updated regularly to reflect the current approved list of approved contractors.