As property insurance premiums continue to soar across Florida, one Hillsborough County family still recovering from Hurricane Milton says they’re nearing their financial breaking point.

April Self and her husband were forced out of their home by severe flooding and only returned two months ago. Since then, they’ve been juggling a growing pile of bills — and a stack of paperwork from FEMA and the Small Business Administration.

“This is all the paperwork we’ve done with FEMA, SBA,” Self explained to Bay News 9, gesturing to a thick folder of documents.

Although their home isn’t in a designated flood zone, the couple bought flood insurance as a precaution. Now, they’re draining retirement accounts and savings just to keep up.

“We’re paying about $250 a month for a storage POD, plus the mortgage, utilities, and the cost of staying in an Airbnb,” Self said. “It adds up fast.”

And she fears the worst may still be ahead — especially when it comes to their insurance premiums.

“With everything that went on, I think it will definitely go up,” she said.

Florida already has some of the highest average insurance rates in the nation. NerdWallet estimates the average homeowner’s insurance premium in the state is $2,625 in 2025.

In response, Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez is calling for state action. He’s proposing a Home Insurance Relief Property Tax Credit to help ease the load on residents whose insurance rates have jumped 15% or more in a year.

“This is really about economic insecurity for working families,” Henriquez said. “And one of the biggest factors fueling that insecurity right now is the rapid rise in property insurance.”

The proposal would offer a property tax credit for owner-occupied homes, with eligibility capped at a $150,000 household income. Households earning under $80,000 could receive additional relief.

“Most homeowners are protected by the Save Our Homes cap,” Henriquez explained. “But with some property taxes jumping 15, 20, even 25% — mine included — this credit could help make up the difference.”

For April Self and her family, that help can’t come soon enough. They recently took out a second mortgage and are unsure how long they can stay in their home.

“We already pay so much for this house, and now we have another mortgage starting in January,” she said. “Everything keeps going up — property taxes, insurance, utilities. If one of us loses our job, we’re in real trouble. And we’re not the only ones.”

Starting over, she says, just isn’t an option.

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Google, & X

(Image credit: Tampa Bay Times)

PIE-Sun.com: local St. Pete-Clearwater news