TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement applauding Citizens Property Insurance Corporation for providing needed relief to more than 445,000 policyholders statewide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citizens' relief efforts are similar to hurricane response, and include suspending cancellations and non-renewals for 45 days and adjustments in underwriting guidelines to make them more flexible for policyholders.   CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “In these challenging times, I thank Citizens for working diligently to install measures to protect their policyholders impacted by COVID-19. Many in our communities are reeling from the economic impacts of this pandemic and we must do everything we can to provide relief to Florida families and protect consumers as we weather this storm. I thank CEO Barry Gilway and the Citizens team for stepping up for their customers.”   Citizens CEO and Executive Director Barry Gilway said, “We understand the circumstances many of our policyholders may be going through in light of COVID-19 and are doing what we can to help them get through this unprecedented event."   For more information on COVID-19 resources available to Citizens policyholders, please visit citizensfla.com/coronavirus.

About CFO Jimmy Patronis  Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and Twitter (@FLDFS).