The two-line summary: if you had a free wind-mitigation inspection last year and never received your grant, the money is now appropriated. If you have not applied yet, the program remains open to low and moderate-income Florida homeowners, with applicants 60 and older at the front of the queue. And the state just made the underlying impact-window hardware cheaper for everyone.
What changed in the budget
The Florida Legislature passed a $115 billion state budget over Memorial Day weekend 2026, with a final floor vote on May 29. Buried in the agreement is a reappropriation of more than $405 million across two related programs: My Safe Florida Home (single-family residential, administered by the Florida Department of Financial Services under Fla. Stat. §215.5586) and the My Safe Florida Condo Pilot (associations of three habitable stories or more, created in 2024 as a condo-specific companion). The money is not new spending in the strict sense — it is unspent balances from earlier appropriations being rolled forward to clear the inspection backlog.
The backlog is the story. DFS, which administers the program, reported approximately 45,000 homeowners who completed a free wind-mitigation inspection in earlier program windows but did not receive their grant award before that cycle's funding was exhausted. Many of these homeowners had already received a passing inspection report identifying qualifying upgrades and were waiting only for the grant to be funded. With the Memorial Day reappropriation, those completed inspections move from "waiting" to "fundable" in the priority order the program established.
Governor DeSantis is expected to sign the budget in June. The 2026–27 state budget cycle includes over $600 million proposed for the combined program, on top of the reappropriated $405M, which signals continued state commitment through at least the next fiscal year. For context, MSFH has paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in grants since its 2022 relaunch, and the Department of Financial Services has reported substantial reductions in wind-related claim severity on participating homes — the data backing the funding-renewal decision.
Bonus: a three-year sales tax exemption on impact windows
Layered onto the budget deal — not part of My Safe Florida Home itself, but stacking with it — is a separate $150 million tax-relief package that includes a three-year sales tax exemption on impact-rated windows and exterior doors. The exemption reduces the out-of-pocket cost on those specific wind-mitigation upgrades whether the buyer is participating in My Safe Florida Home or paying entirely out of pocket.
What qualifies under the exemption is impact-rated product certified to Florida Building Code TAS 201/202/203 or ASTM E1996/E1886 hurricane test standards. Standard double-pane windows do not qualify; only products meeting the Florida Building Code impact rating do. Installation labor is generally not exempt under Florida sales tax (labor on real property is separately treated), so the savings apply to the hardware portion of the invoice. On a full-home impact-window retrofit running $15,000–$40,000 depending on home size and product line, the sales tax savings at the typical Florida combined rate of 6.5–7.5% run roughly $1,000 to $3,000.
For low-income MSFH applicants the state covers the full grant, so the impact-window sales tax exemption just stretches that $10,000 further. For moderate-income applicants paying their 1-to-2 share, the exemption reduces both the homeowner contribution and the state outlay against the (now cheaper) invoice. Effective dates and the precise list of qualifying product categories are set by general law and forthcoming Florida Department of Revenue guidance — expect the implementing TIP (Tax Information Publication) shortly after the budget is signed.
Selling or moving? Your biggest tax benefit is on the line.
Most Florida homeowners have tens of thousands of dollars in Save Our Homes protection — and lose it by accident when they move. Check what yours is worth and what happens to it if you sell.
Who qualifies in the current cycle
The 2025–2026 program limits grants to low and moderate-income Florida homeowners. The income brackets follow county area median income (AMI), as published annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
- Low-income: at or below 80% of county AMI
- Moderate-income: 80% to 120% of county AMI
Within those brackets, applicants are processed in priority order: low-income age 60+ first, then low-income under 60, then moderate-income age 60+, then moderate-income under 60. The home must be a single-family, owner-occupied primary residence in Florida with the homestead exemption in place. Mobile and manufactured homes are not eligible. Townhouses and detached single-family homes are; condominium units are not (the Condo Pilot covers those through the association rather than the unit owner).
The grant structure varies by income tier, with the matching rule set by Fla. Stat. §215.5586:
- Low-income applicants: no match required. Per §215.5586(2)(h), low-income homeowners "are eligible for a grant of up to $10,000 and are not required to provide a matching amount." The state pays the full grant up to the $10,000 ceiling; the homeowner contributes nothing.
- Moderate-income (and all other) applicants: 2-to-1 match. Per §215.5586(2)(c), "All grants must be matched on the basis of $1 provided by the applicant for $2 provided by the state up to a maximum state contribution of $10,000." A $5,000 homeowner contribution unlocks the full $10,000 state grant for $15,000 of qualifying work.
Properties in mandatory hurricane-evacuation zones with insured replacement values above $700,000 typically face additional underwriting scrutiny, though the budgetary cap on home value has been periodically adjusted by the Legislature. The qualifying upgrades funded by the program are limited to the three categories of wind-mitigation work that drive the largest insurance discounts: opening protection (impact windows, impact doors, hurricane shutters, impact-rated garage doors), roof improvements (re-roofing, secondary water resistance, hip-roof structural features), and roof-to-wall connections (clips, single wraps, double wraps).
For a deeper walk-through of the inspection itself, the 8-step application workflow, the exact qualifying products by category, and the realistic insurance-discount math after the upgrades, our comprehensive companion guide is the right next step: My Safe Florida Home Program 2026: Eligibility, Grants & Complete Guide.
The Condo Pilot: what's different
The My Safe Florida Condo Pilot Program runs in parallel and shares funding with the single-family side. It is structured around the association rather than the unit owner. An eligible association must be a condominium or cooperative of three or more habitable stories, be located in Florida, and apply through its board with proof of authority. The grant is paid to the association for building-envelope improvements that protect the common elements — impact-rated windows for common-area openings, exterior doors, and roofing system upgrades.
Unlike the single-family program, the Condo Pilot does not impose individual unit-owner income limits. The association can apply regardless of the unit owners' income tiers; the program's per-unit grant ceilings and matching ratios are set by the association's overall application. The Pilot interacts with the post-Surfside structural-integrity reserve study (SIRS) regime under Fla. Stat. §718.112(2)(g) — an association that has already used SIRS reserves for an opening-protection upgrade can stack the Condo Pilot grant onto the same work, reducing the special-assessment burden on unit owners. For associations facing large SIRS-driven special assessments, this is meaningful relief. Boards that want a deeper walkthrough of the Pilot mechanics — eligibility, the 15-mile coastal radius, the $175,000 per-association ceiling — can read Mosaic HOA's My Safe Florida Condo grants explainer alongside the official MySafeFLCondo portal.
What to do if you're in the backlog — or new
If you had an inspection completed in a prior cycle: your application is in the queue. The new appropriation funds work through the priority order; the program does not require you to reapply. Verify your status at mysafeflhome.com using the email address on your original application, or contact DFS directly at the program phone number. Keep your contact information current in the portal — missed notifications (a stale email, a changed phone number) are the most common reason an otherwise-eligible homeowner falls out of the queue. If you moved between cycles, update both the mailing address and the property address; the program needs both.
If you have not applied yet: applications remain open subject to available funding. Start at mysafeflhome.com; the online questionnaire assigns your application to a priority group automatically based on income, age, and the home's characteristics. Free wind-mitigation inspections are scheduled first; the inspector visits, takes photos, and produces a Florida Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (often called a "Form 1802") detailing what your home has today and what upgrades would qualify for a grant. Grant award follows once funding becomes available for your priority group.
If you are doing wind-mitigation upgrades out of pocket: wait for the Florida Department of Revenue to publish the implementing guidance on the new impact-window sales tax exemption before scheduling a purchase. The savings on a single window are modest; on a whole-home retrofit they are meaningful. Pair the exemption with the wind-mitigation insurance discount (which can be 30–50% off the wind portion of your homeowners premium once the upgrades are installed and a new Form 1802 is filed with your carrier), and the long-term economics improve further. The wind discount is mandated by Fla. Stat. §627.0629 and applies to all FL-domiciled insurers, including Citizens.
If you are a condo board: the Condo Pilot is the right doorway. The association applies, not the unit owners, and the grant supports common-element wind hardening. Coordinate with your association's milestone-inspection engineer and SIRS reserve study to identify the highest-priority opening-protection upgrades, then layer the Pilot grant onto the SIRS budget. This is one of the few programs that meaningfully reduces SIRS-driven special-assessment exposure for unit owners.
The Memorial Day appropriation is a continuation of state commitment rather than a one-time fix. For the 45,000 homeowners on the inspection backlog — and the associations sitting in the Condo Pilot queue — it is the funding news they were waiting for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions homeowners ask most about the June 2026 My Safe Florida Home update.
Yes. The program reopened on August 4, 2025 and continues to take applications. With the Memorial Day 2026 budget reappropriating over $405 million across My Safe Florida Home and the Condo Pilot Program, funding is available to work through the backlog of approximately 45,000 homeowners with completed inspections still awaiting grants. Application status and open windows are posted on mysafeflhome.com.
For the 2025–2026 cycle, the program is limited to low and moderate-income homeowners. Low-income applicants earn at or below 80% of the county median income, and moderate-income applicants earn up to 120% of the county median. Within those groups, applicants 60 and older are prioritized. The home must be a single-family, owner-occupied primary residence in Florida with a homestead exemption.
Up to a $10,000 state contribution per home, set by Fla. Stat. §215.5586. Low-income applicants (≤80% county AMI) receive the full grant with no matching contribution required under §215.5586(2)(h). All other applicants — including moderate-income (80–120% AMI) — receive a 2-to-1 state match under §215.5586(2)(c): the state pays $2 for every $1 the homeowner contributes, up to the $10,000 ceiling. A $5,000 homeowner contribution maxes out the state grant on a $15,000 scope of work. The grant funds wind-mitigation upgrades — opening protection (impact windows, doors, garage doors), roof improvements, and roof-to-wall connections.
Layered onto the 2026 budget deal is a $150 million tax-relief package that includes a three-year sales tax exemption on impact windows and doors. The exemption reduces the out-of-pocket cost on wind-mitigation upgrades whether the buyer is participating in My Safe Florida Home or paying entirely out of pocket. Effective dates and product-eligibility details are set by general law.
Yes, in nearly all cases. Approximately 45,000 homeowners completed a free wind mitigation inspection in earlier program cycles but did not receive a grant award before funds ran out. The Memorial Day 2026 budget specifically targets this backlog. The Department of Financial Services processes applications in the priority order they entered the queue, with low-income age 60+ applicants first, then low-income under 60, then moderate-income age 60+, then moderate-income under 60. Verify your application status at mysafeflhome.com or by contacting the program directly.
Selling or moving? Your biggest tax benefit is on the line.
Most Florida homeowners have tens of thousands of dollars in Save Our Homes protection — and lose it by accident when they move. Check what yours is worth and what happens to it if you sell.
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