Kevin Kiley: “Last week I introduced the SAFE HOME Act which provides a tax credit for folks to harden their homes against wildfires.…”

“Last week I introduced the SAFE HOME Act which provides a tax credit for folks to harden their homes against wildfires. Right now in California we have not only experienced devastating catastrophic wildfires in recent years, but, as a result, we are now in the thick of an insurance crisis where folks' rates for fire insurance have absolutely skyrocketed. People are losing their plans left and right, insurance companies are pulling out of California, and more and more people are being kicked on to what is called the FAIR Plan, which is not a good option for a lot of folks and imposes enormous costs. This is having ramifications for homeowners, for businesses, for folks looking to buy a home, and for folks looking to sell a home. In one of my counties it has even impeded an affordable housing project from even getting off the ground, and the situation continues to get worse and worse and worse. We have seen State Farm and Allstate say they are now no longer issuing plans in California. Other insurance companies such as Merastar, Unitirn, and Kemper Independence have said they are not going to renew policies in 2024 for homeowners. Unfortunately, we have not seen much, if any, meaningful action from the Governor or from the legislature in California. So folks really, really need relief. People are having to pay thousands more than they anticipated, and a lot of people simply cannot afford it.…”