Oldsmar homeowner Becky Valine said the check from the state should have arrived months ago.
The My Safe Florida Home program approved Valine last summer for a $9,000 grant toward the more than $14,000 she paid for hurricane windows.
The popular grant matches up to 10,000 dollars of homeowner costs to harden their homes against hurricanes. Approved applicants receive $2 for every dollar they spend on eligible home strengthening improvements.
Valine had new windows installed in October but then discovered the state had classified her as low-income. Low-income homeowners don’t have to pay out of pocket for the project and then wait for a reimbursement. Their contractors get paid directly from the program.
Valine thinks a typo on her paperwork caused her grant to be placed in the low-income category. She attempted to correct through months' worth of calls and letters.
When she couldn't get the error corrected, the retiree wrote to ABC Action News and asked for help.
We contacted the Florida Department of Financial Services, which administers the My Safe Florida home program.
Valine told ABC Action News that after WFTS contacted the state, "a miracle happened. They took me out of the low-income grant and put me in a match grant.”
Now all that's left to do is wait on her check, which Valine expects to arrive in the next few weeks.
“You threw my son under the bus. You didn't take care of him.”
The State of Florida and the VA are under scrutiny after the Baker Act was used incorrectly on a young veteran who went to a Florida VA hospital for help.
