INCREASED RATES OF INSURANCE DUE TO WILDFIRE RISK

CAI-CLAC & CA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE ASK FOR YOUR HELP

Guest Blog By Kimberly Lilley

As you know, communities throughout California have been experiencing dramatic insurance rate increases due to wildfire risk. These increases are not only turning association assessments into amounts impossible for homeowners to pay, but, in some instances, have led to lenders no longer being able to provide loans to those who would buy into the association… in other words, those who COULD afford the assessments necessary to pay for the increased cost of insurance.

CAI’s California Legislative Action Committee (CAI-CLAC) and the CA Department of Insurance (DOI) have been meeting to discuss ways in which we can help communities to not only acquire the insurance they need, but also at more reasonable premiums.

If you responded to our last Call-to-Action, YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE! Thank you so much for taking the time to have your voice heard. You helped to convince the CA Department of Insurance that we could be stronger by working together! Here are some of the things that have come from you making that effort:

• Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approved increases to the limits of coverage for the FAIR Plan’s commercial programs (from $3.6M to $8.4M – more than double!) that will give community associations more access to property coverage, even in areas of high wildfire risk.
• The CA Department of Insurance asked for our “wish list” regarding the CA FAIR Plan which, if implemented, would increase access to affordable insurance for community associations even more.
• Assembly Member Irwin wrote a letter on our behalf to the CA Insurance Commissioner.
• The CA Department of Insurance asked for our comments on a Rulemaking Hearing they will be having in April regarding wildfire mitigation credits for homeowners.
• The CA Department of Insurance asked for our help in disseminating a survey they are launching to gather more information about insurance rate hikes in CA.

To that last bullet point, the DOI has issued a survey we hope you will respond to. You will need to CHOOSE which survey to complete:

1. For those with CLIENTS who have been impacted (Portfolio Managers, CFOs of Management Companies, community association Insurance Brokers/Agents, Attorneys, etc.)
2. For those who have been impacted DIRECTLY (Homeowners and Homeowner Leaders of community associations, as well as on-site managers)

The deadline for this is 5pm on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, so please respond now! To learn more, you can also visit our Current Campaigns page. 

And thanks for helping to prove the point that we are absolutely #BetterTogether.

Kimberly Lilley is the Director of Business Development for Berg Insurance Agency and can be reached at kimberly@berginsurance.com.