Rebuild Northwest Florida Accepting Applications For Its Need Based Hurricane Mitigation Program

 
Press Release - For Immediate Release
Date: Nov 2, 2006
Contact:
850/497-7024
 
PENSACOLA, FL – Local area citizens may qualify for home hardening assistance through Rebuild Northwest Florida’s Home Mitigation Program. This program will be one of the largest residential mitigation projects ever conducted in the State of Florida.  The program is designed to help need-based citizens to fortify their living structures against future storm damage and potentially reduce their homeowner’s insurance premiums by:
  1. Improving the strength of your roof deck attachment. For example, if your roof consists of shingles nailed to plywood sheets, the inspection may reveal that the plywood sheets are not adequately nailed to your roof trusses, and that additional nails and/or longer nails need to be added to prevent the plywood from being blown off in a hurricane.
  2. Creating a secondary water barrier to prevent water intrusion. For example, using strips of “peel and stick-on” material that cover the joints between the plywood sheets on your roof to reduce leakage until repairs can be made if a hurricane blows off your roof shingles.
  3. Improving the survivability of your roof covering. For example, upgrading to thicker and stronger hurricane-resistant roof shingles, attached with properly sized and properly applied roofing nails, to reduce the susceptibility of your roof shingles blowing off in a hurricane.
  4. Bracing gable-ends in your roof framing. This is usually done inside your attic to decrease chances that your roof will collapse under hurricane wind loads.
  5. Reinforcing roof-to-wall connections. For example, installing metal tie-down straps that attach roof rafters to wall studs to decrease chances that all or a portion of your roof will simply lift your house during a hurricane.
  6. Upgrading exterior wall opening protections. For example, installing hurricane-rated window shutters.
  7. Upgrading exterior doors. For example, replacing a standard garage door with a hurricane-rated garage door.
The agency has been taking applications from its current clients over the past two weeks and is ready to significantly expand the application phase to a greater number of homeowners in Escambia County. A similar program is expected for Santa Rosa County by the end of the year.
 
Rebuild Northwest Florida and its Partner’s Volunteer Florida Foundation’s Florida Hurricane Relief Fund and Florida Department of Financial Service’s “My Safe Florida Home” will leverage state funds with REBUILD’s already awarded Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to reach thousands of need-based homeowners
 
Homeowners will have to meet and provide documentation that they meet certain income level requirements, provide proof of current Florida Homestead Exemption, must carry homeowners insurance including windstorm, and have an insurable value of less then $500,000. Keeping with Rebuild Northwest Florida’s mission, this program primarily will be available for moderate to low-income homeowners. Specific income limits are listed at www.rebuildnwf.org
 
This money cannot be used for repairs. Once the homeowner applies, they will be contacted by REBUILD for an appointment to provide the necessary paperwork to ensure they are qualified for the program. Once approved, a detailed structural analysis will be conducted free of charge to determine which mitigation techniques would be appropriate and cost effective. After the inspection, the homeowner will be contacted to coordinate the construction phase. This will take time and homeowners will have to provide the required documentation to be eligible. This particular program could last up to three years.  Rebuild Northwest Florida hopes to make additional funding available in the next few years to greatly expand this program
 
Homeowners can check to see if they may be eligible to apply through REBUILD’s website at www.rebuildnwf.org.  Assistance will be available for those for those citizens who do not have Internet capability.  Citizens who do not have access to the internet can apply in person at the REBUILD offices on 33 Brent Lane. groups to Not all homeowners will be eligible for our program. Citizens who are not eligible can apply for a matching grant directly through the Department of Financial Services website at www.mysafefloridahome.com
  

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