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The Florida Division of Emergency Management is excited to announce Florida’s first Statewide Residential Mitigation Program, Elevate Florida. The goal of this program is to enhance community resilience by mitigating private residences against natural hazards.

Review our list of Frequently Asked Questions and our Residential Mitigation Funding Information one-pager for more information.

Elevate Florida Flyer

Eligible Project Types

The following project types are eligible under Elevate Florida:

• Structure Elevation: Structure elevation activities generally involve physically raising an existing structure utilizing a variety of methods. Utilities must also be properly elevated. Buildings proposed for elevation must be structurally sound and capable of being elevated safely.
• Mitigation Reconstruction: The construction of an improved, elevated building on the same site where an existing building and/or foundation has been partially or completely demolished or destroyed. 
• Structure Acquisition: Generally, acquisition projects consist of a community purchasing at-risk structures from voluntary sellers and either demolishing the structures or relocating the structures to a new site outside of the hazard-prone area. The purchased property is then maintained, in perpetuity, for open-space purposes and to restore or conserve the site’s natural floodplain functions.

Next Steps

Elevate Florida is in the final stages of program development with significant updates expected in the coming weeks, including the launch of the application portal. The Elevate Florida application portal will be separate from the systems used by local governments to apply to these programs. Residents should not create a FEMA GO, grants.gov, or sam.gov account.

Subscribe to receive future communications by selecting Elevate Florida Updates at FloridaDisaster.org/Subscription-Topics. Please note that the remaining subscriptions are intended for local governments only and selecting the incorrect subscription may prevent you from receiving timely updates regarding Elevate Florida.

You can begin to prepare for the application by compiling the following information, however, your home does not need to have sustained prior flooding or damage to apply for Elevate Florida. If available, information regarding prior flood history should be gathered to submit as supporting documentation with the application.

• Photos of any flooding inside or outside of the home (if available)
• Photos of high-water marks and photos measuring the height of the marks
• Insurance claim payouts or assistance documentation (if available)
• Receipts or estimates for repairs from previous events
• A list of aesthetic alterations to the home and year completed (if home is over 45 years old)
  • Window/door replacement
  • Roof replacement
  • Remodeling
  • Painting or re-siding
  • Additions, decks, landings or garages
  • Any historic use of structure

Contact

If you are a resident of Florida and interested in learning more about mitigation grant funding for your property, please email ResidentialMitigation@em.myflorida.com with your name, city, and your specific question or situation.

If you would like to receive future updates about this program, please subscribe to receive FDEM Elevate Florida Updates at FloridaDisaster.org/Subscription-Topics.