A West Palm Beach homeowner says she was locked out of the My Safe Florida Home program while she was in the hospital with a broken hip.
"I applied for it, and they told me you're doing fine, and then when I got out of the hospital and got here, I called them up, or I texted them, and they said, 'You haven't responded to our emails, so it's over,'" Barbara Madewell said.
WATCH BELOW: Woman, 85, says hospital stay cost her $10K home grant
Woman, 85, says hospital stay cost her $10K home grantShe tells me she had recently completed her second home inspection with the program after replacing windows and a roof before she broke her hip during a fall in early September.
The 85-year-old said she spent more than weeks in two hospitals for surgery and then had physical therapy.
She was hoping to resume the process with the program to get a $10,000 grant to offset her costs of over $60,000.
"It's very frustrating to me, very frustrating," she said. "I'm all by myself. I have no income other than my husband's pension and Social Security."
The My Safe Florida Home program has helped thousands of homeowners with storm-strengthening repairs to lower insurance costs.
In the last two years, the program was changed by lawmakers to prioritize low-income and senior homeowners.
The program can take months to complete, and it is also known for strict deadlines, forcing many homeowners to keep close watch on emails and texts.
I have reached out to the state Department of Financial Services with information about Madewell's situation.
