HI HB1056

Establishes the Strengthen Hawaii Homes Program within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to provide grants to single-family homeowners for wind damage retrofits meeting Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety FORTIFIED standards

Creates the Strengthen Hawaii Homes Program special fund to receive federal grants, legislative appropriations, and other funding sources for program administration and homeowner grants

Limits eligibility to homeowners with household income not exceeding 140% of area median income, requiring certified IBHS evaluators to prequalify properties and bids from at least three IBHS-certified contractors

Appropriates $10,000,000 from general revenues into the special fund for fiscal year 2025-2026, plus $1,500,000 from the compliance resolution fund to hire seven full-time permanent positions to administer the program

Caps program administrative expenses at 8% of contracted funding per fiscal year, with grant funds paid directly to contractors only after FORTIFIED certification is issued for the completed retrofit