Year: 2019
Project(s):
Relevance
Hurricanes, tornadoes and severe storms damage the properties of Alabama homeowners every year. The housing stock in the state consists of many existing homes built to older building standards. Many homeowners lack the financial resources or knowledge to upgrade their homes to be resilient using modern construction techniques. A method to allow homeowners to affordably and easily improve their homes' ability to resist damage from severe weather better was needed.
Response
Alabama leads the nation in FORTIFIED construction, a nationally recognized construction standard that reduces damage from hurricanes and severe weather. For years, Smart Home America has led outreach efforts to increase the use of resilient construction and FORTIFIED, creating an understanding of the benefits FORTIFIED provides. Alabama supports FORTIFIED in many ways, and in 2019, local legislators decided a new approach was needed to allow homeowners to make their homes more resilient after a storm.
Results
Using a new model to provide resiliency upgrades, HB 283 was passed. Homeowners can now buy insurance that will upgrade their homes with a resilient FORTIFIED Roof. The bill requires "all insurance companies writing homeowners insurance to offer an endorsement that upgrades a home to a fortified standard adopted by the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) when the insured incurs damage covered by the policy that will require the roof to be replaced."
Recap
A new home insurance endorsement, enacted through the State Legislature, allows Alabama homeowners to affordably upgrade to a resilient, wind-resistant FORTIFIED Roof after it has been damaged. (2019)