This bill implements several reforms to its Fortify Roof program, most importantly:
Of these, reform (3) is perhaps the most important, and the bill accomplishes this in two ways – first, by directing the Insurance Department to publish an annual report of all discounts offered by insurers to people who have made upgrades to their homes or businesses, meaning that every Louisianan will have the information they need when considering a fortified roof, other weatherization upgrades, and insurance policies. And secondly, by directing the Insurance department to also provide insurers with an annual list of actuarially sound recommendations for how great a discount they should offer their customers for fortified roofs and other upgrades. This change will help to bring Louisiana’s Fortify program closer to other states, such as Alabama, where homeowners that have made these upgrades have been guaranteed substantial discounts on their insurance policies.
The Alliance, along with partner organizations like HousingLouisiana, HousingNOLA, and the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance, has been a strong supporter of SB484 throughout the session. While it may not seem directly connected to affordable energy or utility regulation, the fact of the matter is that every Louisiana family that cannot afford their utilities certainly cannot afford the rising costs of housing driven in large part by the growing insurance crisis.
Furthermore, our advocacy for weatherization, better building codes, and even distributed rooftop solar all depend on strong roofing systems. Residents who participate in efficiency and weatherization programs must first have a solid building. It’s hard to advocate for federal funds to spend on rooftop solar when our rooftops aren’t ready. Strong roofs are foundational to climate ready homes and affordable homes.
Our organization exists because we believe that Louisiana should be a place that people can continue to call home for generations to come. We believe that achieving our mission – ensuring that every Louisianan has clean, affordable, sustainable energy – can help to mitigate some of the largest drivers of our insurance crisis (in particular, by preventing climate change caused by fossil fuel emissions from power plants and other sources from growing worse), but we know that changing our energy system will not be enough on its own to make it possible for many Louisianans to stay in their homes.
