WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The wait for many Florida homeowners in the My Safe Florida Home program is getting a little long.
"[I've been waiting] since around September of 2023," Natalie Musselwhite of Port St. Lucie said.
She is still waiting for the $10,000 grant that she could use to replace her roof before her insurance is up for renewal in July.
"I'm worried now," she said. "We have to have this done by the end of June."
NewsChannel 5 has heard from many homeowners who are also waiting and wondering what's going on.
The My Safe Florida Home program has become widely popular offering homeowners free wind inspections and grants to "harden" their homes against storms.
The office of Jimmy Patronis, Florida's chief financial officer, oversees the program in Tallahassee. A spokesman for Patronis said they know all about the backlog of applications.
"We are currently in the process of approving the last of the grant applications we had last fall when the Legislature met in special session to fund the backlog of applicants," according to spokesman Ryan Walker.
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Resident receives My Safe Florida Home grant after contacting WPTV
The department, Walker said, has 4,220 grants awaiting approval with $42 million set aside.
Since May 2022, he said over $348 million has gone out in the program and lawmakers are working on a new funding bill for 2024.
Once lawmakers clear the bill, then the program should be back up and running to accept new applications by July 1.
If you have any questions or issues with homeowners insurance, email WPTV reporter Matt Sczesny at matt.sczesny@wptv.com