Patience appeared to be the name of the game Monday for people applying to My Safe Florida Home (MSFH).
“I feel like I got lucky and won the lottery, you know? Like, ‘Oh it went through,'” said Teresa O’Neil, who waited two hours to apply for MSFH. “It locked up in the beginning so just stick with it.”
O’Neil and her husband are retired and live on a fixed income in Boca Raton.
“So what do you need help with?” asked WPTV reporter Joel Lopez.
“Our roof, our roof is disintegrating. It’s starting to leak in a couple of places and although we’ve patched it’s not going to last forever in this hot Florida sun,” said O’Neil.
She said her family is considered low income, and a grant by MSFH would provide her with financial and safety relief, but also peace of mind on her health from potential mold. A new roof, she said, is not in their budget.
They say with coverage collapse, her premium has gone up $3,200 a year to $6,500 a year and that her mortgage payment went up $500.
“It’s devastated our yearly budget,” said O’Neil. “We’ve had to cut back, we don’t go out, we shop around at the grocery store, budget well, eat at home, cook at home, do free activities.”
She said she’s hoping to upgrade her roof to a metal roof, but it would cost anywhere from $20,000-$40,000.
“$10,000 to help pay for a new roof is definitely worth 2 hours of my time, definitely,” said O’Neil.
As of Monday evening, she has not heard back on if her application has been accepted.
“Even if I’m accepted there’s only so many people and so much to go around and from hearing the news story there’s people left over that are in the queue already,” said O’Neil.
Her neighbor Melissa Sequete said it took her up to five months from when she applied to MSFH to when she got accepted.
“Oh yeah, I keep telling my friends about it. If you need it get it, it helps with windows, doors, roofs,” said Sequete. “Now we got a brand-new metal roof and it’s awesome and I don’t have to worry about leaks and my insurance rates have gone down.”
She said her insurance went down $3,000.
“Well, I’ve got two kids, one drives, one is starting to drive, so now I just switch it to auto insurance instead of homeowner insurance,” said Sequete.
While MSFH helped her get her new roof, she said with coverage collapse and rising rates, she worries how long it’ll be the roof over her head.
“You just wonder what’s going to happen if all the insurance companies keep pulling out of Florida it gets to the point… can we afford to live here anymore?” she said.
According to the MSFH website, getting a grant is a two-step processes. You will also have to have your home inspected.
The website says once you’re approved, you will receive a reimbursement check in the mail within 5-10 business days.