Alabama Funds Roof Replacements to Stave off Insurance Crisis

A roof replacement program in Alabama is helping homeowners fortify their homes against wind and rain damage, reports Alex Brown for Stateline. “Alabama’s grant program has helped more than 7,000 residents upgrade their roofs. Meanwhile, as participating roofers and contractors have gotten familiar with the standard, they’ve begun offering it as a part of their regular business. Of the 60,000 certified Fortified homes nationwide, 50,000 are in Alabama.”

With home insurance rates rising around the country, the state began the program as a way to keep insurance costs lower and build more resilient housing. 

Alabama has distributed over $70 million through the program since 2016. “The larger success story, state leaders say, is that more than 40,000 homeowners have installed a Fortified roof without state funding” as coastal counties updated their building codes to require them on new buildings. According to Brown, “Other states have taken notice. In recent years, lawmakers in at least five other states have established similar programs to pay for Fortified roofs. While those efforts are still in their early stages, leaders say they hope to replicate Alabama’s success.”