Kentucky faces frequent severe weather threats including tornadoes, straight-line winds, and hail. As of March 1, 2026, Kentucky homeowners can apply for grants to upgrade their roofs to IBHS FORTIFIED standards and receive mandatory premium discounts from their insurers for doing so.

Grant Programs

Mitigation grant programs provide homeowners with funds to enhance their homes' resilience against storms and other natural hazards, such as wildfires and floods.

  • Strengthen Kentucky Homes Program: Grants of up to $10,000 to help homeowners upgrade their roofs to the IBHS FORTIFIED Roof standard, providing protection against tornado and severe wind damage. The program launched March 1, 2026 with $5 million in initial funding. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Homeowners must use a FORTIFIED Certified Professional contractor. More Details.
  • Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati Affordable Housing Program - The Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati's Affordable Housing Program awards competitive grants to member institutions for affordable housing projects in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee, including additional scoring points for FORTIFIED construction to promote storm resilience in ownership and rental developments. More Details.

Mitigation Insurance and Tax Incentives

Property owners, residents, and businesses can receive insurance discounts and tax breaks to build stronger to better withstand damage from natural hazards.

  • FORTIFIED Home Discounts - Kentucky HB 256 (2024) requires property insurance companies to offer mandatory premium discounts or rate reductions for homes that meet IBHS FORTIFIED Home standards. Discounts took effect March 1, 2026. Contact your insurer for the discount schedule applicable to your FORTIFIED designation level.
  • FORTIFIED Roof Endorsement - Insurers are required to offer an endorsement to a homeowners policy to upgrade their home to an IBHS FORTIFIED Roof if it is damaged and needs replacing.

Continuing Education

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Funding to Help Rebuild or Re-Roof

These federal and mortgage-backed programs may provide financing for disaster recovery, home repairs, energy upgrades, and rehabilitation, supporting homeowners, renters, and small businesses, particularly for those with low incomes or who are affected by disasters.

Small Business Administration Loans - Those affected by a disaster can rebuild stronger by increasing their SBA disaster assistance loan up to 20% of the verified physical damage to make mitigation improvements. There is no cost to apply, and you are under no obligation to accept a loan if approved.

  • Generally, borrowers have two years after loan approval to request an increase for higher rebuilding costs, code-required upgrades, or mitigation.
  • Call (800) 659-2955 and ask about increasing your loan for mitigation purposes, or visit sba.gov/disaster for more information.

Fannie Mae HomeStyle Renovation Loans - A mortgage that provides a simple and flexible way for borrowers to renovate or make home repairs with a conventional first mortgage, rather than a second mortgage, home equity line of credit, or other more costly methods of financing.​

Fannie Mae HomeStyle Energy Loans - A mortgage that helps lenders offer financing for homeowners to increase home energy efficiency and reduce utility costs.

  • Both HomeStyle Renovation and HomeStyle Energy mortgages may be combined with a HomeReady® mortgage so that low-income borrowers can take advantage of flexible features and additional savings.

USDA- Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants - A loan program providing loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their homes. Grants are also available for very-low-income elderly homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.

HUD 203(k) Loans - A loan program for rehabilitating and repairing single-family properties, allowing homebuyers and homeowners to finance both the purchase or refinancing of a house and the cost of its rehabilitation through a single mortgage, or to finance the rehabilitation of their existing home.

  • The 203(k) program permits homebuyers and homeowners to finance up to $35,000 into their mortgage to repair, improve, or upgrade their homes.

HUD Mortgage Insurance for Disaster Victims - 203 (h) - Loan program for renters or homeowners if their homes are located in an area designated by the President as a disaster area and were destroyed or damaged to such an extent that reconstruction or replacement is necessary. These loans may be used to finance the purchase or reconstruction of a one-family home that will be the homeowner's principal residence.

  • The borrower must submit their application to an FHA-approved lending institution within one year of the President's disaster declaration.

Resilience Policy and Legislation

Legislation and regulation are tools used to encourage and incentivize building to higher standards, thereby reducing losses and costs for property owners and residents.

  • KY 2024 HB 256: Establishes the Strengthen Kentucky Homes Program. Requires insurers to offer premium discounts or rate reductions for FORTIFIED-designated homes. Requires insurers to offer homeowners the option to upgrade their home to FORTIFIED standards following a covered loss. Grant program and mandatory discounts became effective March 1, 2026. More Details.

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