Grant Helps Mobile Homes Be Hurricane Resistant

SEBRING - Homeowners at Hammock Estates, a retirement community compromising of manufactured homes, should feel more secure if another hurricane hits.

A $15 million state grant program awarded most of the 112 homeowners at the 55-and-older park money of up to $3,500 worth of improvements. The work should limit any damage from high winds.

Ron VanHouten spearheaded a community-wide drive to cash in on the state program and hopes that building improvements will cut homeowner insurance rates.

"Not only is their house not going to blow away, it's not going to blow over and damage a neighbor's house," said VanHouten. "It gives us peace of mind if a hurricane comes and we might have to go to a shelter, but when we get back, we'll still know our house is going to be intact."

The Manufactured Housing and Mobile Home Mitigation and Enhancement Program for the My Safe Florida Home Program first funded improvements in the county at Woodhaven Estates last year.

Hammock Estates is one of about 85 manufactured home communities in the county, said Rick Ingler, District 6 vice president of the Federation of Manufactured Home Owners of Florida Inc. Only communities with property owners who rent or lease their land are eligible.

"There is no way they could afford it otherwise," said Ingler. "Fixed income retirees 55 and older is the target group we need to help out."

Snowbird for 27 years, Bob Bamford agreed.

"You can't turn it down," said Bamford. "It's an all-win situation. I might not have done the work."

The program pays to secure building tie-downs first, then makes carports safer and more secure. If the full grant per property of $3,500 isn't exhausted following that work, other improvements to a home such as to the windows are then performed.

The program awards grants only on a community-wide basis and almost every unit owner must agree to the repairs, which are performed by a single firm.

Homes at Hammock Estates were built as early as 1973 and as recently as 2003. Building standards have become progressively stricter since that first home was constructed and some recently built homes might not require the full grant amount.

For information, call Ingler at 655-4844.