Elderly Port St. Lucie Couple Denied Hurricane Grant Despite Failing Windows
A state program loophole disqualifies homeowners who have shutters — even if they're physically unable to install them
WHAT HAPPENED: Helen and Alfred Nonnemacher, both in their 80s, were denied a My Safe Florida Home grant to replace deteriorating, taped-together windows at their Port St. Lucie home because they already have hurricane shutters — shutters they are physically unable to deploy.
WHAT IT MEANS: Florida's My Safe Florida Home program bars homeowners from receiving impact-window grants if they already possess hurricane shutters, regardless of whether they can physically use them. The denial leaves elderly and disabled homeowners in a coverage gap: shutters they can't lift, windows a mitigation expert says should be replaced. Mitigation expert Calvin Johnson warned that failing, unprotected windows can also put homeowners at risk of losing their insurance coverage entirely.
WHO IS AFFECTED: Low-income, elderly, or disabled homeowners across Port St. Lucie and the broader Treasure Coast who own shutters but cannot deploy them due to age or medical condition. Alfred Nonnemacher is recovering from a stroke. A second homeowner, Kimberly Caldwell Blazie, described an identical barrier stemming from her disability.
WHAT WE DON'T KNOW: No data is currently available showing how many applicants have been approved in the current grant cycle. Only 33% of more than 120,000 applicants received grants during the last full cycle, according to state data released in October 2025. It is unclear how many pending exemption requests exist statewide.
WHAT TO WATCH: Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia's office directed the Nonnemachers to file a disability waiver exemption at MySafeFLHome.com and said a team member would contact them directly. Caldwell Blazie filed the same waiver and was approved. The CFO's office says funding will not run out before exemptions are reviewed — a claim neither family has confirmed independently.
This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.