Florida’s $833 million My Safe Florida Home mitigation program is as popular as ever, providing grants for homeowners to harden their homes and install new roofs. But it’s wasteful, is a tax-dollar giveaway, and has some glaring issues that do little to reduce insurance costs, a state lawmaker has charged.
“We’re not really fortifying homes by putting on a new roof,” said Florida state Rep. Brian Hodgers, R-Viera. “An old roof is a maintenance item, not an insurance matter.”
Hodgers, one of two insurance agents in the Legislature, filed a bill this year that would have revamped the My Safe Florida Home program by allowing roof replacement matching grants only if a homeowner’s existing roof fails to meet state building code standards. Program inspectors also would have to verify, under penalty of perjury, that grant-recipient homes have been properly retrofitted.
Hodgers said he has seen examples and heard stories of roofs funded by the program that do not include a crucial, secondary, water-tight membrane under the shingles. Some unscrupulous contractors simply tape over the seams between the plywood decking sheets, he contends. (Hodgers said he is not referring to the increasingly popular, green-colored “ZIP” sheathing system that has a membrane built in and is approved by code.)
Florida building codes and the safe home program require either the self-adhering “peel and stick” membrane across the entire roof decking, or taped seams along with felt or similar nailed-down underlayment.
But once a roof installation is completed, it’s difficult for inspectors to see if what, if any membrane is present, Hodgers and others noted. Roofing contractors don’t often provide photographs of roof work in progress.
The My Safe Florida Home, which has provided more than 32,000 grants over the last few years, many of those for new roofs, is managed by the state Department of Financial Services. Officials there did not fully respond to requests for information, other than to acknowledge that it can be difficult for inspectors to verify the presence of a secondary water barrier. While home inspectors are supposed to enter a home’s attic and look in the seams between the plywood roof decking, a membrane is not always obvious.
The mitigation program encourages but does not require photographs of a reroof job.
“For the installation of a SWB (secondary water barrier) to be considered for grant funding, applicants must show proof that the SWB was put in the right way,” the program’s website notes. “It is also a good idea to take photos during the work …”
Another issue: The program is predicated on allowing premium discounts for homeowners with stronger roofs. But most Florida insurers provide only minimum credits for new roofs. As an insurance agent, Hodgers has access to much of that information. His analysis showed an average annual premium discount of just $18 after new roofs were installed.
There’s a better way, Hodgers said: Ditch the roof grants altogether. By slashing grants for roofs, the program could provide millions more in funding for improvements that would better reduce insured losses and claims, such as impact-resistant windows and doors, and roof-to-wall connections, Hodgers said.
