As lawmakers continue to debate a plan to help alleviate soaring property insurance costs and availability in Louisiana, there is growing support for a plan to incentivize homeowners to hurricane-proof their roofs and lower their coverage costs. Winnfield Representative Jack McFarland proposed the idea of the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program…:
“Everyone agrees; this is a long-term solution to a short-term problem, and is one that would be putting taxpayer dollars back to the taxpayers to improve their roofs; to lower their insurance premiums.”
In essence, the program would give homeowners grants of up to $10-thousand (paid from a special fund) to retrofit their home’s roof so it is capable of withstanding 150-mile-an-hour winds. McFarland says that would be a metal roof in many cases, but there are many other ways to storm-harden a roof, such as…:
“…putting seals between the boards used for the roof, using different type staples and screws instead of nails.Also additional strapping that can be done to hold the roof down.”
McFarland says the legislature voted to create the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program last year, but did not create a solid funding for it. He says the Department of Insurance and fellow lawmakers are committed to funding the program in the regular session that starts in April. He says it is a proven plan to lower coverage costs for homeowners…:
“It’s something that worked effectively and efficiently in other states. Alabama did it. They’ve already done 30-thousand homes, by retrofitting their roofs and fortifying.”
McFarland wants any un-used cash from the $5-million Insure Louisiana Incentive Fund to be put into the fortification fund.
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