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Ongoing coverage of South Carolina's recovery from the flooding of 2015.What had been Lindsay Langdale's Columbia home October 3, 2015 was a flooded ruin the next day.This coverage is made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In October of 2015, South Carolina received rainfall in unprecedented amounts over just a few days time. By the time the rain began to slacken, the National Weather Service reported that the event had dumped more than two feet of water on the state. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the subsequent flooding was the worst in 75 years.
The applicant acknowledge and agree that in no event shall the State of South Carolina be liable for any damages or loss sustained by any applicant due to the applicant's utilization of any wind resistive device or any information contained in the Wind Inspection Report. The State of South Carolina, South Carolina Department of Insurance and/or SC Safe Home Program do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in this application or the Wind Inspection Report. The application, Wind Inspection Report and material contained therein or provided pursuant thereto are provided to the applicant as is without warranty of any kind. The applicant swear or affirm under penalty of law that the information in this application is true and correct to the best of his/their knowledge and belief. Introduced in 2007 by the South Carolina Department of Insurance, the SC Safe Home program is designed to help homeowners be proactive about hurricane-damage prevention.
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Importantly, hopeful homeowners must apply for a grant before making changes to their structure; the DOI does not issue grants as reimbursement for previous alterations. The grant won’t be issued without a quote from a certified contractor, a process which does require a fee. SC Safe Home funds are for the sole purpose of retrofitting owner-occupied, single-family homes. South Carolina State Housing Finance & Development Authority launched a $272 million program to assist South Carolina residents in need of rental and utility assistance whose finances have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. View the press release announcing that residents are encouraged to apply for rental, utility help through SC Stay Plus. SC Safe Home also is financially supported by a portion of the tax collected on wind and hail insurance policies.
In choosing the dual designation, the homeowner may qualify for additional insurance benefits based on meeting the now shared standards of the Safe Home program and the Fortified Roof program. Your approved independent contractor will know what additional measures are to be taken during the mitigation process to ensure your home qualifies for both standards. Retrofitted or strengthened homes are less vulnerable to the effects of severe wind storms, thereby making the hurricane and high-wind damage less likely and less intense. Fewer damages result in lower or fewer insurance claims and will over time reduce insurance premiums for all South Carolinian's. SC Safe Home, which operates within the South Carolina Department of Insurance, provides funds to individual homeowners to make their property more resistant to hurricane and wind damage.
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Qualified homeowners may receive matching or non-matching grant funds to retrofit their homes to make them more resistant to hurricane and high-wind damage. Many homeowners near South Carolina’s coast were left to deal with significant property damage in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. Now, early in 2017’s hurricane season, which began in June and runs through November, there are options for coastal South Carolinians who want to prepare for storm damage. One of them is the South Carolina Safe Home Program, a grant program operated by the South Carolina Department of Insurance to help offset the cost of home alterations that mitigate storm-related damages. In South Carolina, where the legend of Hurricane Hugo, a massive 1989 storm, continues to grow, lawmakers stepped in to help out by passing the Omnibus Coastal Property Insurance Reform Act of 2007. The SC Safe Home Program has partnered with the IBHS Fortified Program to provide participating homeowners the possibility of achieving dual designations when mitigation work is performed on the roof of their homes.
We had a lot of trees down on homes, and power was out for up to seven days in some areas . Anything we can do to have our citizens live in a more resilient structure, we need to be doing,” Farmer said. State Housing Finance and Development Authority Mortgage and rental assistance, information for first time home buyers. We’ll help you understand the SC Safe Home application process and work with you to plan the next steps. Expanded funding would be important for an expanded pool of grant recipients, because, as Roberson said, the grant money “goes quickly.” Typically, the $2.2 million runs out before the end of the year.
Do I Qualify for South Carolina’s Safe Home Roof Replacement Program?
The applicant further acknowledge that the grant program is subject to availability of funds, which are limited, and also recognize that the applicant may receive no funds. The applicant understand and agree that nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring upon any applicant any right to payment for any wind resistive device or installation. The State of South Carolina reserves the right to modify the information contained in its grant program documents without notice.
This budget is funded by the premium taxes collected from wind and hail pool insurance policies along the coast, but Roberson said that recent legislative changes could open up different avenues for more funding. However, SC Safe Home’s applications are currently closed, and will be until early fall. According to Farmer and Roberson, that’s because the program is being revamped so that more homeowners can receive grants.
If you qualify for SC Safe Home, you must choose from their list of approved home inspectors and contractors.
If the cost of the mitigation project exceeds the amount of the grant award, the remaining cost is the responsibility of the applicant. SC Safe Home was created in 2007 as part of the Omnibus Coastal Property Insurance Reform Act. Since then, the program’s annual budget allocation has remained at around $2.2 million, according to Roberson.
Grant recipients have used the money (up to $5,000 for low income applicants) to take a variety of proactive measures to protect their homes from potential damages from storm-related winds, from retrofitting roofs to installing reinforced storm doors and windows. Property owners blessed with the beauty of the Carolina coast also are cursed by the threat of the real possibility of serious wind damage. Their plight is especially uncertain during the hurricane season, June 1 through Nov. 30, when they must watch and wait as potentially devastating storms roll across the Atlantic Ocean, eventually dissipating, turning north before touching the U.S.
Prior to applying for grants of up to $5,000, homeowners must have their residence inspected by a qualified home inspector, with the charge for this service capped at $150. However, your income does determine whether you’ll get a $4,000 dollar-for-dollar matching grant or a $5,000 grant with no match required. The DOI hosted this Beaufort County event, which also featured a variety of other vendors, all offering storm readiness resources and strategies. DOI Director Ray Farmer was in attendance as well, and weighed in on the importance of storm damage mitigation as part of a comprehensive storm readiness plan.
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