Strengthen Oklahoma Homes

The Strengthen Oklahoma Homes (SOH) program offers grants to eligible Oklahoma homeowners to help cover the costs of upgrading their roofs using advanced wind and hail mitigation techniques. This initiative is administered by the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) and funded by the insurance industry, not through the state’s general budget. The grant program supports residential resilience through the adoption of the FORTIFIED Home™ – Roof™ – High Wind designation with the Hail Supplement, a standard developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). The SOH program is open to owner-occupied, single-family homes in Oklahoma that serve as the homeowner’s primary residence. The grant covers up to $10,000 in roof upgrade costs and is issued directly to the selected contractor upon verified project completion. Importantly, these upgrades must meet the IBHS FORTIFIED standards, which are designed to reduce storm damage through enhanced structural protections. The grant does not cover evaluation costs or expenses exceeding the $10,000 limit, which must be paid by the homeowner. To begin the process, homeowners must first hire a certified FORTIFIED evaluator to assess eligibility. If the home qualifies, the evaluator collaborates with the homeowner to obtain bids from three contractors approved by the SOH program. Once bids are submitted, a grant award letter is issued. Only after receiving this award letter may construction begin. Throughout the mitigation process, the evaluator verifies compliance with the FORTIFIED standards and submits documentation to IBHS for final certification. All contracts for mitigation work are established directly between the homeowner and contractor, with no funds issued directly to the homeowner. Additionally, the program does not reimburse homeowners or provide advance funding. Evaluators may charge small upfront fees to determine eligibility, and those fees are paid directly by the homeowner. The SOH program promotes insurance savings in addition to safety, as homes that obtain FORTIFIED certification may qualify for discounts on the wind portion of their homeowners insurance premiums. While the program is subject to funding availability, grants are issued on a rolling basis, with no set annual deadline. Homeowners are encouraged to visit the SOH portal and fortifiedhome.org for more details and to initiate the evaluation and application process.

Don’t begin work before receiving grant award letter; shop around for evaluator quotes; funds are never paid to the homeowner