A waterfront or coastal property often holds a strong appeal for homeowners due to qualities such as beautiful views and easy access to  boating or swimming. But as Hurricanes Irene and Sandy demonstrated, these properties can be vulnerable to storms if they are not properly protected.

Flooding is a major concern for homes on the shoreline. Rising waters will damage structural components and personal belongings, and salt water from coastal flooding will corrode components such as electrical system and plumbing.

One of the best ways to protect a home from the flooding caused by hurricanes and other storms is to elevate the home out of harm's way. The Shore Up CT program, a part of the state's Shoreline Resiliency Fund, provides low-interest loans for homeowners who wish to complete this work.

Homeowners in each of Connecticut's 25 communities with frontage on Long Island Sound—including Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, East Lyme, Waterford, New London, Groton, and Stonington—are eligible to apply for funding through Shore Up CT. A property must be located in a flood zone defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of National Flood Insurance Program to qualify for funding.

Shore Up CT is open to both primary and secondary homes occupied by an owner for at least 14 days of the year, as well as owner-occupied rental properties of one to four units and businesses with 100 or fewer employees. The owner must have flood and property service for the life of the loan, and they must also be current on local, state, and federal taxes in order to receive funding.

Emmeline Harrigan, program manager for Shore Up CT, says the average loan offered through the program is $135,000. However, homeowners can apply for sums as low as $10,000 or as high as $300,000. This funding is applied at certain construction milestones.

The loans are paid back over a 15-year period with no pre-payment penalty. There is a 2.75 percent interest rate, but the first year is interest- and payment-free.

In addition to new building elevation projects, Shore Up CT offers funding for the refinancing of existing projects. In order to qualify for this funding, a home must have been raised between Oct. 29, 2013 and July 28, 2014 and the owner must have a certificate of occupancy.

Projects approved by Shore Up CT must raise a structure to the level of the 500-year floodplain, plus one additional foot of freeboard. Harrigan says this elevation is required for state-funded projects in the floodplain, but will also provide a longer return on investment for homeowners as shoreline flooding will be more common due to rising sea levels and severe storms in the coming years.

"You don't want to do the least in terms of protection," says Harrigan. "You want to go to a higher level."

A person interested in raising their home must take several steps before any work can commence. These steps include having a land surveyor determine how high a home needs to be raised, getting a building permit, testing the soil to make sure it can support a new foundation, and ensuring that the work will comply with any zoning regulations.

The new foundation should be designed by an architect or structural engineer. A contractor or professional house lifting service will raise the home using a hydraulic lift, structural steel supports, and temporary cribbing system while the foundation is being built.

Funding through Shore Up CT can be used for all of these expenses as well as the installation of stairs and landings, soil stabilization, the raising of existing porches and decks, and certain wind-proofing measures such as permanent storm shutters and stronger vents and soffits. Other costs—such as new additions or the replacement of utilities that are not up to code—are ineligible.

The program's website at shoreupct.org allows interested homeowners to pre-qualify for a loan and schedule a time to speak with a representative about a home project. For more information, call 203-910-2446 or e-mail info@shoreupct.org.