More funding is now available for residents looking to hurricane proof their homes as of July 1.

An additional $100 million was made available for those seeking grant money through the state’s “My Safe Florida Home Program.”

The program will match $2 to every $1 residents spend on wind mitigation projects like hurricane windows and doors or a new roof.

The first round of this funding adds up to $115 million and is already spoken for and there is a backlog of applicants.

The key for people living in a neighborhood like this is to check out the evacuation zone sign. This is where residents will want those extra safeguards.

One lucky homeowner in this neighborhood who got her hands on the money.

When Susan Elder said she wanted a beach home, she meant it. She’s one block from the sand and surf. And her home looks every bit the coastal escape.

“I bought the house in June 2019, and it hadn’t been touched since the 80s and it was built in the 50s. So I knew I was going to have to do a lot of remodeling to update it,” Elder said.

First the fun stuff like artistic floors and pretty finishing touches. But being right on the coast, she knew preparing her home for storms was also a priority. She shows the hurricane impact windows she had installed throughout the house. They would’ve cost her $15,000 out of pocket, but at the last minute, she found out about a grant program that helped foot the bill.

“I was just about to put the order in for the windows, but then a neighbor two doors down told me about the My Safe Florida Home program. So I did some research and found out I might be eligible for the grant,” she said.

Through the program, qualifying homeowners can get up to $10,000 to hurricane proof their home.

To be eligible, residents must have proof of homestead exemption, their home must be insured for less than $700,000, and the initial building construction permit for the home must have been issued before 2008.

Since launching last year, 12,452 grants have been approved and 599 homeowners have been reimbursed. Still, numbers from the state show a whopping 21,000 plus applications still waiting approval.

Elder said the process took 3 months and a number of phone calls to figure out an issue with her paperwork before she was finally reimbursed.

The ordeal was a headache for sure, but ultimately, she says it was worth it.

A spokesperson with the program said the from start to finish, the process should take about 3 months, and anyone having issues should call the My Safe Florida home customer service helpline.