HB 1056 Summary

• Establishes the Strengthen Hawaii Homes Program within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, administered by the Insurance Commissioner, to provide grants to single-family homeowners for wind damage mitigation retrofits.

• Creates a special fund for the program receiving federal grants, legislative appropriations, and other funding sources; moneys used for program administration (capped at 8% of contracted funding) and retrofit grants.

• Applicants must have household income not exceeding 140% of area median income, obtain three contractor bids, complete retrofits to Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety FORTIFIED standards within 12 months, and maintain wind and flood insurance.

• Grants paid directly to contractors only after certification of completed work; properties subject to random reinspection by the commissioner with potential grant repayment for non-compliance.

• Appropriates $10,000,000 from general revenues for FY 2025-2026 to the program special fund and $1,500,000 from the compliance resolution fund to hire seven permanent positions in the insurance division.