Finding home insurance in Florida is becoming more difficult, with companies steeply raising prices and declining coverage. 

What’s happening?

An exceptionally tough insurance market is pricing people out of Florida, forcing some to sell their homes and move to more affordable states. This issue especially affects owners of manufactured or mobile homes, according to a report from Gulf Coast News.

“The challenge for insuring manufactured homes in Florida has always been, how well do these homes stand up against hurricanes? And the answer to that question is heavily influenced by the age,” said Doug Nellans, president of The Insurancenter of Fort Myers.

“For anybody that has a home [built] prior to 1990, they’re still going to see continued challenges with pricing, with eligibility and also, getting the proper type of coverage,” Nellans added. 

Why is it important?

Prefabricated and manufactured homes are gaining popularity, and more are hitting the market. They are typically meant to be affordable and accessible options for homeownership.

But they are becoming prohibitively expensive in states such as Florida, which is experiencing housing and insurance crises due to the worsening trend of destructive natural disasters.

The warming climate is causing stronger and more frequent hurricanes every year. If homeowners can’t find or afford insurance policies, they risk losing their houses completely in the next severe weather event. 

What’s being done about it?

Our society’s reliance on fossil fuels and other dirty energy sources is responsible for the toxic pollution warming the climate, causing more extreme weather events worldwide. We’re now seeing the consequences of these actions and how people have been put at risk in places such as Florida.

Some lawmakers in the state are trying to address the crisis by taking action against the insurance companies that have raised rates or pulled coverage from residents.

They are reportedly considering implementing tax breaks for elevating homes, enforcing more oversight of insurance companies, and allocating funding for home hardening.

For more information on how to explore critical climate issues and take action in your everyday life, check out our guide.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.