The Protecting Good program was launched by Protective in collaboration with the City of Birmingham and the State Department of Insurance. Together, they work to identify ways to give back to Northside Birmingham residents who live near Protective Stadium which is now adjacent to their community.
Protecting Good: Strengthen, Repair and Protect program
The Protecting Good: Strengthen, Repair and Protect program is currently underway for homeowners in Druid Hills, Evergreen, Fountain Heights, Norwood and Central City neighborhoods in Birmingham, Alabama.
The program represents the opportunity for qualified homes to receive up to $10,000 for a roof replacement to the FORTIFIED™ standard in order to help protect against wind damage. Strengthen Alabama Homes is a grant program of the Alabama Department of Insurance. Qualified homes/homeowners may receive additional funding to provide necessary home repair work under the program. This is a joint effort by the Alabama Department of Insurance, Protective and the City of Birmingham.
Apply for home renovation assistance
The Protecting Good: Strengthen Repair and Protect home renovation assistance program is not accepting applications at this time.
When the application period reopens, all interested homeowners should complete the application and associated paperwork to be placed on the list of homes for review. We will confirm that we have received your full application, but you should be aware that additional paperwork may be requested in order to help you qualify to receive additional funding should the estimate exceed $10,000 or if additional repairs are needed.
If your home needs but does not qualify for this additional funding, you would still have the opportunity to have a roof replacement to the FORTIFIED™ standard but would be responsible for the unfunded portion. Full information about the cost of repair work and the available funding will be disclosed. You will be notified of the extent of unfunded repairs before any work begins.
In order to receive the Strengthen Alabama Homes grant, you must have homeowner’s insurance with wind coverage OR you must put that insurance in place when the renovation has been completed. If you fail to get the insurance at the conclusion of the renovation you will be required to re-pay the grant amount up to $10,000. You should check with your insurer, even if you already have coverage, as you may receive a discount on your insurance rates for having a FORTIFIED™ roof.
An easy way to see that your application is complete and will get processed quickly is to come to an Application Assistance Hub. Contact 205-996-0884 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. to find out upcoming dates and locations. They can also help if you need special assistance. You should refer to the application checklist to gather the documents you will need.
Please be patient with the process. Something this good will take time to do right. We will contact you when your application is complete, when any additional information is needed or when we are ready to proceed, but it is not necessary for you to follow up by phone.
Protecting Good: Strengthen, Repair and Protect application checklist
1. Strengthen Alabama Homes Application
- Application must be signed and notarized. Most banks have a notary available. Notaries will be available at Application Assistance Hubs.
2. State of Alabama Disclosure Statement
- This form must also be notarized.
3. FORTIFIED™ Roof Installation Agreement
Additional funding application requirements
In addition to the completed items 1, 2, and 3 above, to apply for additional funding you will need to submit:
- City of Birmingham Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Application
- Proof of Homeownership (Recorded Deed)
- Income documents (1040 Federal Tax Form, Social Security Disbursement Letter, VA benefit statement or other documents for each person in the home over 18 years old)
- Copy of flood insurance policy (if in a flood zone)
- Copy of your personal identification (this can be a driver’s license or other government-issued identification with a photo)
How to submit your application*
Use either of these methods to submit your application packet.
Scan and email to: RIFE@uab.edu
OR
Mail to:
Protecting Good
c/o Institute for Financial Education
710 13th Street South
Suite 153
Birmingham, AL 35294
*Applications are not being accepted at this time
Frequently asked questions
What are the Call Center hours of operation?
You can call 205-996-0884 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
What is Protecting Good?
The Protecting Good program was launched by Protective in collaboration with the City of Birmingham and the State Department of Insurance. Together, they work to identify ways to give back to Northside Birmingham residents who live near Protective Stadium which is now adjacent to their community.
In addition to the home renovation assistance program, other initiatives include Protective’s ongoing engagement with Phillips Academy, extra assistance at neighborhood clean-up days and a partnership with the UAB Live HealthSmart Alabama program, a transformational program that works to make good health simple for all Alabamians by implementing proven revitalization strategies with communities to decrease the incidence of chronic disease and provide greater health equity across the state. Protective continuously looks for ways to assist with these and other neighborhood priorities.
Who is eligible to apply for the Protecting Good: Strengthen, Repair and Protect program?
The initiative is focused on the five neighborhoods that are adjacent to Protective Stadium. The neighborhoods include Druid Hills, Fountain Heights, Norwood, Evergreen and Central City. To qualify for home renovation assistance through the Protecting Good: Strengthen, Repair and Protect program, you must own your home and be living in it.
What neighborhoods are included in the initiative?
Druid Hills, Fountain Heights, Norwood, Evergreen and Central City. The neighborhoods included in the Protecting Good Program surround Protective Stadium.
Who is Protective?
Founded in Birmingham, Protective has helped people achieve protection and security in their lives for 115 years. Through its subsidiaries, Protective offers life insurance, annuity and asset protection solutions and is helping more than 12 million people protect what matters most. Protective’s more than 3,700 employees put people first and deliver on the company’s promises to customers, partners, colleagues and communities — because we’re all protectors. Protective does not benefit from your participation in this program. You can learn more about Protective at protective.com.
Where does the money come from?
Funds can come from several sources and that is what is special about the Protecting Good program. When you apply, Strengthen Alabama Homes (SAH), the City’s Community Development Block Grant program, Neighborhood Housing Services, Habitat for Humanity, Protective Life Foundation and other potential funding sources work together to coordinate their services and provide assistance to the homeowner.
What is Strengthen Alabama Homes?
The Strengthen Alabama Homes program is funded by the Alabama Department of Insurance. SAH provides grants to Alabama residents for residential wind mitigation on existing, owner occupied, single-family homes. Funding for this program comes from the insurance industry in Alabama and is not funded from the state’s general budget, nor is it tied to a federally funded program. You can learn more about programs of Strengthen Alabama Homes at strengthenalabamahomes.com.
Note that the rules for the Protecting Good program are different than the standard SAH program. The requirements for the Protecting Good home renovation assistance program are outlined above.
What do you mean by wind mitigation?
Wind mitigation consists of construction methods that strengthen a home against severe storms, high winds and wind driven rain. Mitigation reduces the risk of damage to homes during storms, and in Alabama, provides homeowners discounts to their wind insurance premium and deductible.
What is a FORTIFIED roof?
The mitigation standard adopted by the Strengthen Alabama Homes program is known as the FORTIFIED Home™ program and it was developed by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). To receive this grant, your roof must be installed to reach the IBHS FORTIFIED Roof™ or FORTIFIED Silver™ standard.
You can learn more about FORTIFIED at fortifiedhome.org.
