Redington Shores - Wednesday April 24, 2024: Governor DeSantis today highlighted Florida’s investments to strengthen the state’s defenses against hurricanes through infrastructure improvements, beach fortification and support for homeowners and condo owners.
The Governor signed House Bill 1029 to establish the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program. This new pilot program will provide condominium associations with funds to harden their condo infrastructure.
To support Florida homeowners, the Governor also signed Senate Bill 7028 to continue funding for the My Safe Florida Home Program, providing $200 million for the program in the upcoming fiscal year.
The Governor highlighted infrastructure funding through the Resilient Florida Grant Program which provides grants to local communities to strengthen our coastal and inland communities against the impacts of flooding. Senate Bill 1638, which was signed earlier this month, appropriates $100 million in funding for the Resilient Florida Program. The program was established in 2021 to harden coastal infrastructure and help communities prepare for the impacts of flooding and hurricanes through targeted funding and directives that enhance efforts to protect our inland waterways, coastlines, shores, and coral reefs, all of which serve as invaluable defenses against flooding
“Strong infrastructure is the best way to protect against the impacts of a future hurricane,” said the Governor. “We are making investments that strengthen our state, help homeowners strengthen their homes, and increase our coastal protection against a storm.”
Florida has invested a total of $1.8 billion through the Resilient Florida Program, awarding more than 320 grants for comprehensive vulnerability assessments and 351 resilience projects. Additionally, since 2019, the Florida Department of Transportation work program has supported over $3.8 billion to reconstruct bridges to better withstand winds and over $1.1 billion to support our coastal seaports.
To continue to fortify Florida beaches, the Governor also commitment to approving the $50 million appropriation in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget which is aimed at supporting beach nourishment projects. He said Florida’s coastlines are its first defense against a storm and ensuring that the state’s beaches are strong is important to protect our coastal infrastructure. With this additional funding for beach re-nourishment projects, Florida will have invested over $550 million in dedicated funds to beach re-nourishment since 2019.