Covenant Builders
We Deliver.
Assistance for Florida property owners
The complete guide to government help for your home — statewide grants, free claim mediation, property-tax relief, and county-by-county repair programs across the Treasure Coast, Space Coast, and Orlando area. Pick an area below to see every program, phone number, and current status.
Florida license
CBC1253676
Classification
Certified Building Contractor
Licensed since
2005 · 21+ years
Status
Active through August 31, 2028
Vero Beach · Sebastian · Fort Pierce · Port St. Lucie · Fellsmere · Bilingual company. Hablamos español. · Mon–Fri 9–5
Verify via Florida DBPR license lookupGuide index
Pick your area
Tap a square to see every program behind it — statewide help first, then county-by-county guides for the Treasure Coast, Space Coast, and Orlando area. Statuses verified August 2026; funding windows open and close quickly, so always call before you count on a program.
Pick a square above to open that area's programs.
Statewide · Harden your home
Money to strengthen your home before the storm
Florida pays property owners to make their homes stronger. These programs fund impact windows and doors, roof-to-wall strapping, and stronger roofing — and completed upgrades usually earn insurance discounts too.
My Safe Florida Home (MSFH)
Open nowA free wind-mitigation inspection of your home, then a grant of up to $10,000 toward approved wind-hardening upgrades. Most homeowners get a 2-to-1 match — the state pays $2 for every $1 you spend — and low-income homeowners can qualify with no match required. The 2026 state budget put roughly $378 million back into the program, and the application portal is open for the 2026–27 year.
How to access it
- Apply free at mysafeflhome.com — it takes minutes.
- The state schedules your free wind-mitigation inspection and sends a report of qualifying upgrades.
- Once your grant is approved — and only then — choose a contractor and complete the work.
- Submit invoices for reimbursement. We help our clients with quotes, wind-mitigation documentation, and closeout paperwork.
My Safe Florida Condo (pilot)
Open nowThe condominium version of MSFH for buildings three habitable stories and up. The association applies — not individual unit owners — and grants fund wind-hardening of common elements like roofs and openings. The pilot continues with about $27 million in fresh 2026 funding. If your board is already planning milestone or SIRS repairs, this can offset the hardening portion of the project.
How to access it
- Your association board applies at mysafeflcondo.com.
- Ask us how the pilot pairs with milestone inspection repairs — we work with condo boards across the Treasure Coast.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Open nowFree energy-related repairs — insulation, air sealing, A/C and water-heater work — for income-qualified households, delivered through local community agencies under FloridaCommerce. The local provider for your county is listed in the regional sections below.
How to access it
- Find your county’s provider through the FloridaCommerce locator, or use the regional listings below.
Elevate Florida (FDEM)
Closed to new applicantsThe state’s home-elevation and mitigation-reconstruction program drew over 12,000 applications in early 2025 and has been closed to new applications since April 2025, with existing awards delayed in federal review. We list it so you don’t chase it: if you already applied, check your status; if you didn’t, My Safe Florida Home is the live hardening option.
How to access it
- Existing applicants only: check status through the Elevate Florida portal or call 877-353-8835.
floridadisaster.org — Elevate Florida · 877-353-8835
Statewide · When a claim goes wrong
Free state help with insurance disputes
If your property insurance claim is stalled, underpaid, or denied, the State of Florida gives you free tools most homeowners have never heard of. You do not have to face the insurance company alone.
DFS Residential Property Mediation
Open nowA free, state-run mediation program for residential property claims. The insurance company pays the entire cost. A neutral mediator is assigned within about three weeks, and many disputes settle at the conference. If you reach a settlement, you even have three business days to change your mind.
How to access it
- Call the DFS consumer helpline at 1-877-693-5236 (1-877-MY-FL-CFO) and ask for property insurance mediation.
- Or request it online through the Department of Financial Services.
myfloridacfo.com — Mediation · 1-877-693-5236
DFS Consumer Helpline
Open nowThe general front door for any insurance problem: coverage questions, complaints about slow adjusters, or help understanding the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights. A state insurance specialist opens a file, and your carrier must respond to the state.
How to access it
- Call 1-877-693-5236, Monday through Friday, or file a complaint online at myfloridacfo.com.
myfloridacfo.com · 1-877-693-5236
Statewide · Repair & recover
Repair money for families who need it
From county programs to federal disaster aid, there is a ladder of help for property owners facing repairs they cannot afford on their own. County-by-county SHIP details are in the regional sections below.
County SHIP Programs
Varies by countyEvery Florida county runs a State Housing Initiatives Partnership office offering owner-occupied repair and rehabilitation help — roofs, HVAC, electrical, accessibility — for income-qualified residents. Funding windows open and close fast, and each county runs its own rules. See the Treasure Coast, Space Coast, and Orlando sections below for every local office, phone number, and current status.
How to access it
- Jump to your county below — each listing includes the office, phone, and whether applications are open right now.
USDA Section 504 Home Repair
Open nowFor homes in USDA-eligible rural areas — which includes much of our service area outside the coastal cities — the USDA offers repair loans of up to $40,000 at 1% interest over 20 years, and grants of up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older who cannot repay a loan (up to $15,000 in presidentially declared disaster areas).
How to access it
- Visit rd.usda.gov and search “single family housing repair,” or contact the USDA Rural Development office serving Florida. Applications are accepted year-round.
FEMA & SBA (after a declared disaster)
After declared disastersWhen a hurricane brings a federal disaster declaration, two doors open fast: FEMA grants for uninsured essential repairs, and SBA low-interest disaster loans for homeowners. Many FEMA grants require an SBA application first — so the right move is to apply to both immediately.
How to access it
- Apply at disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 — typically within 60 days of the declaration.
- Apply for an SBA disaster loan at sba.gov/disaster at the same time.
disasterassistance.gov · sba.gov/disaster · 1-800-621-3362
Rebuild Florida (CDBG-DR)
Closed to new applicantsThe state’s long-term disaster rebuilding program repaired and replaced homes after Hurricanes Irma, Michael, and Ian — but it is no longer accepting new applications. If you applied after Hurricane Ian, you can still check your application status.
How to access it
- Existing applicants: call 1-800-915-6803 or check ian.rebuildflorida.gov.
ian.rebuildflorida.gov · 1-800-915-6803
Statewide · Taxes & other relief
Property-tax relief and federal benefits most owners miss
Some of the biggest help isn’t a grant — it’s money you keep. These are claimed through your county property appraiser or on your federal return, and after a storm they can add up to thousands.
Homestead Exemption
Open nowUp to $50,000 off your home’s assessed value, plus the Save Our Homes cap that limits assessment increases to 3% a year. File once with your county property appraiser by March 1. Worth watching: a constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot would increase the homestead exemption further.
How to access it
- File with your county property appraiser — each county’s contact is listed in the regional sections below.
Catastrophic-Event Tax Refund (Form DR-465)
Open nowIf a hurricane, flood, tornado, or fire makes your home uninhabitable for 30 days or more, Florida law (s. 197.319) entitles you to a prorated refund of that year’s property taxes. File sworn Form DR-465 with your county property appraiser by March 1 of the following year, with utility bills, insurance records, or permits as proof.
How to access it
- Download Form DR-465 and file it with your county property appraiser — not the tax collector.
- Keep utility bills and repair permits: they prove the days your home was uninhabitable.
Rebuild Without a Tax Increase (Calamity Rule)
Open nowIf your homesteaded home is damaged by a storm or other calamity, you can rebuild it — even slightly larger — without your assessed value going up, as long as the new square footage stays within 130% of the original (or 2,000 sq ft if greater) and you start within about five years. Your property appraiser applies this when you rebuild.
How to access it
- Tell your county property appraiser you are rebuilding after storm damage and ask for the s. 193.155 calamity treatment.
Permanent Hurricane-Supply Tax Exemption
Open nowFlorida ended its temporary disaster-preparedness sales-tax holidays and instead made key hurricane supplies permanently tax-free as of August 2025 — batteries, certain portable generators, smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors, and more, every day of the year.
VA Disability Housing Grants (SAH / SHA)
Open nowVeterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities can receive substantial federal grants to buy, build, or modify a home — Specially Adapted Housing grants run up to about $126,000 and Special Home Adaptation grants up to about $25,000 for fiscal year 2026, usable up to six times over a lifetime.
How to access it
- Apply online at VA.gov under housing assistance, or through your VSO.
IRS Casualty-Loss Deduction
Open nowAfter a federally declared disaster, uninsured losses to your home can be deductible on your federal return (Form 4684) — and you can elect to claim them on the prior year’s return for a faster refund. One conversation with your tax preparer can be worth thousands.
Regional guide · Treasure Coast
Indian River, St. Lucie & Martin counties
Our home turf. Region-wide: Centro Campesino runs free weatherization for all three counties at (305) 245-7738; the nonprofit SELF fund in Fort Pierce lends for roofs, impact windows, and storm hardening at (772) 468-1818; Florida Rural Legal Services offers free housing and disaster legal help at 1-888-582-3410; and FPL pays instant rebates on A/C upgrades and ceiling insulation.
Indian River County
Indian River County SHIP
Open nowOwner-occupied rehabilitation loans (standard and emergency), purchase assistance, and foreclosure-prevention help through County Community Services. The 2026–27 application window opened August 1, 2026 and runs until funds are gone — appointments only, no walk-ins.
indianriver.gov — SHIP · (772) 226-1870
Indian River Habitat for Humanity — Home Repair
Open nowRepairs for roughly 80 working families, seniors, and veterans a year. Apply through the main office on US-1 in Vero Beach.
irchabitat.org · (772) 562-9860
Utility-bill help (LIHEAP)
Call to checkThe Economic Opportunities Council of Indian River County handles energy-bill assistance from its Vero Beach office.
eocofirc.net · (772) 562-4177
Property Appraiser (homestead & storm-damage tax relief)
Open nowFile homestead exemptions, DR-465 storm refunds, and calamity-rebuild treatment here.
ircpa.org · (772) 226-1469
St. Lucie County
Three separate doors here — the county, Port St. Lucie, and Fort Pierce each run their own program. Fort Pierce is the one to watch right now.
City of Fort Pierce — SHIP Rehabilitation & Purchase Assistance
Opens Oct 1, 2026City-limits residents: applications open October 1, 2026 at 8 a.m., and a mandatory orientation in September comes first (rehab sessions Sept 8 or 22; purchase sessions Sept 3 or 17). First submitted, first qualified — go to orientation and be ready on day one.
cityoffortpierce.com — Grants Administration · (772) 467-3161
St. Lucie County Housing Rehabilitation (SHIP)
Closed / waitlistRoof, HVAC, and septic repair or replacement for owner-occupied homes with failing systems. The 2026 window filled its 20-application cap in May — check back for the next opening.
stlucieco.gov — Housing Rehabilitation · (772) 462-1777
Port St. Lucie — Homeowner Repair & Rehabilitation
Closed / waitlistCode, safety, hurricane-shutter, and accessibility repairs for city residents. Demand is intense: the 2026 pre-application list filled 100 slots in ten minutes the morning it opened in February. Mark your calendar for early 2027 and apply the minute it opens.
cityofpsl.com — Housing Programs · (772) 344-4084
SELF — Solar and Energy Loan Fund
Open nowA Fort Pierce-based nonprofit lender for roof repair, impact windows and doors, shutters, A/C, and solar — built for homeowners banks turn down. A strong option when grant windows are closed.
solarenergyloanfund.org · (772) 468-1818
St. Lucie Habitat — Repair A Home
Paused — check backCritical repairs through affordable repayable loans. Not accepting new repair applications at the moment — call to ask about the next intake.
stluciehabitat.org · (772) 464-1117
Property Appraiser (homestead & storm-damage tax relief)
Open nowOffices in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie.
paslc.gov · (772) 462-1000
Martin County
Martin County SHIP & CDBG Housing Rehabilitation
Closed / waitlistRoof, HVAC, and septic repairs plus code, safety, and hurricane-hardening work for income-qualified owners. Both programs are between funding windows right now — get on the county’s radar so you hear when applications reopen.
martin.fl.us/SHIP · (772) 288-5785
Habitat for Humanity of Martin County
Call to checkRuns neighborhood revitalization and the A Brush with Kindness exterior repair program with the City of Stuart. Call for current repair-program availability.
habitatmartin.org · (772) 223-9940
Property Appraiser (homestead & storm-damage tax relief)
Open nowOn Willoughby Blvd. in Stuart.
pamartinfl.gov · (772) 288-5608
Regional guide · Space Coast
Brevard County
Brevard splits homeowner help by city: Palm Bay, Melbourne, Cocoa, and Titusville each run their own programs, and everyone else — including Rockledge and unincorporated Brevard — uses the county. Region-wide: Brevard County Legal Aid offers free civil legal help at (321) 631-2500, and the county’s own Housing & Human Services runs both weatherization, at (321) 633-2076, and utility-bill assistance, at (321) 633-1951.
County & city programs
Brevard County Repair, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (SHIP)
Open nowRoof repair, window replacement, plumbing, electrical, insulation, and accessibility work for owner-occupied homes in unincorporated Brevard and non-participating cities like Rockledge. Currently open and accepting applications through the county’s online portal.
brevardfl.gov — Housing Programs · (321) 633-2007
City of Melbourne — Homeowner Rehabilitation
Open nowDeferred-loan rehabilitation up to $95,000 to bring homes to code, and reconstruction assistance up to $107,000. Pre-applications are being accepted through the city’s online portal.
melbourneflorida.org — Housing Programs · (321) 608-7530
City of Titusville — Rehabilitation Assistance
Open nowOwner-occupied housing repair through the Neighborhood Services housing division — first qualified, first served, and taking applications until funds are committed.
titusville.com — Rehabilitation Assistance · (321) 567-3997
City of Palm Bay — Housing Rehabilitation
Closed / waitlistRehabilitation up to $75,000 as a forgivable deferred loan, plus emergency repair and disaster assistance — but the SHIP waitlist is closed. Watch the city’s news page for short reopening windows.
palmbayfl.gov — Housing Programs · (321) 726-5633
City of Cocoa — Housing Rehabilitation
Closed / waitlistRepair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction up to $75,000 as a deferred loan. Currently closed to new applications.
cocoafl.gov — Housing Rehabilitation · (321) 433-8525
Space Coast Habitat for Humanity — Home Repairs
Paused — check backCritical home repair for veterans and a preservation program for owner-occupants at 30–80% of area median income. New repair applications are paused — check back or call.
spacecoasthabitat.org · (321) 728-4009
Property Appraiser (homestead & storm-damage tax relief)
Open nowOffices in Titusville, Viera, Melbourne, and Palm Bay; the site takes storm-damage value-review requests directly.
bcpao.us · (321) 264-6700
Regional guide · Orlando area
Orange, Osceola, Seminole & Lake counties
The metro’s most generous programs are in Orange County and the City of Orlando right now, while Osceola and Seminole are between funding windows. Region-wide: Community Legal Services offers free housing legal help across Central Florida at (800) 405-1417; OUC’s Efficiency Delivered pays up to 85% of energy upgrades for income-qualified Orlando utility customers; and Duke Energy runs free Neighborhood Energy Saver makeovers in income-qualified neighborhoods.
Orange County & City of Orlando
Orange County Housing Rehabilitation (SHIP)
Open nowRepairs that eliminate health, safety, and code hazards for very-low-income homeowners who have owned and occupied the home at least a year. Applications are open through the county’s online portal.
orangecountyfl.net — Housing Rehabilitation · (407) 836-5150
Habitat Orlando & Osceola — Home Preservation & Roof Replacement
Open nowMajor repairs and full roof replacements at no cost to qualified Orange County homeowners, in partnership with county government — more than 100 roofs replaced since 2019.
habitatorlando.org · (407) 648-4567
City of Orlando — Housing Rehabilitation & Repair
Open nowCity residents get one of the strongest programs in the state: health-and-safety repairs up to $20,000 as an outright grant with no lien, larger rehabilitation as deferred loans up to $100,000, and emergency roof, window, and plumbing repairs. Applications open online.
orlando.gov — Housing Rehabilitation · (407) 246-2708
Utility-bill help (LIHEAP) — Orange County Community Action
Open nowEnergy-bill and crisis assistance up to $1,000 a year for income-qualified households.
orangecountyfl.net — Energy Bill Assistance · (407) 836-7429
Osceola County
Osceola County SHIP
Emergency repairs onlyPurchase assistance, owner-occupied rehabilitation, and foreclosure prevention are all closed due to funding availability — but the emergency repair program remains available for unincorporated Osceola and St. Cloud. Monitor the county site for reopening.
osceola.org — SHIP · (407) 742-8400
Osceola Council on Aging — Weatherization & LIHEAP
Open nowFree weatherization (insulation, duct and HVAC repair, air sealing) for both Osceola and Orange counties, plus energy-bill assistance for Osceola residents.
osceolagenerations.org · (407) 846-8532
Seminole County
Seminole County SHIP (Minor Repair & Rehabilitation)
Closed / waitlistMinor home repair and full rehabilitation programs exist but are currently closed, and the purchase-assistance waitlist is closed with no reopening date. Check the county page for the next window.
seminolecountyfl.gov — Community Development · (407) 665-2300
Utility-bill help (LIHEAP) — City of Sanford
Open nowSanford administers energy-bill assistance for all Seminole County residents, by appointment.
sanfordfl.gov — LIHEAP · (407) 688-5166
Meals on Wheels, Etc. — Weatherization
Call to checkThe weatherization provider for Seminole County — window sealing, weather stripping, ventilation, and efficiency upgrades for income-qualified homes.
Lake County
Lake County SHIP
Call to checkOwner-occupied rehabilitation, demolition and replacement, and disaster mitigation with about $3 million in 2025–26 funding — first come, first qualified. Call to confirm the current intake before you count on it.
lakecountyfl.gov — Housing · (352) 742-6519
Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumter — Preservation & Repair
Open nowRoof, window, and door repair or replacement, weatherization, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and accessibility ramps for owner-occupants — open first come, first qualified, with a separate higher-income-limit repair program for City of Eustis residents.
habitatls.org · (352) 483-0434
Lake Community Action Agency — Weatherization & LIHEAP
Open nowEnergy-bill assistance and weatherization from the Eustis office, first come, first served while funds last.
lakecaa.org · (352) 357-5550
The money map
Three kinds of help, one picture
Harden your home before the storm, get free help when a claim goes sideways, and find repair money when you need it. We point our clients to these doors every week — the applications are yours, free, and we never charge for pointing the way.
How we fit in
Your builder for the funded work
When a grant or program funds hardening or repairs, you still choose your own licensed contractor. Covenant Builders provides the quotes, wind-mitigation documentation, and licensed work that programs like My Safe Florida Home require — and we are happy to walk you through which programs fit your situation before you spend a dollar.
Program details, funding, and deadlines change with each legislative session — statuses on this page were verified in August 2026. Always confirm current terms on the official program sites linked above. Covenant Builders is not affiliated with these programs; applications are made directly by the property owner or association.
Talk to us about your project