Recovery Project 4:

Reduce Insurance Premiums

Benefits to Community

  1. Lower Insurance Costs: Promoting wildfire risk reduction standards could help homeowners lower their insurance premiums by reducing risk.

  2. Increases Access to Coverage: Encouraging standards like IBHS certification can stabilize the insurance market, making coverage more affordable and accessible.

  3. Enhances Community Safety: Implementing wildfire preparedness measures improves home and community safety, further reducing long-term insurance costs.

Project Status

The Regional Long-Term Recovery Plan is now complete, and the Jackson County Community Long Term Recovery Group (JCC LTRG) has convened partners and identified project leads. These leads are now beginning the critical work of implementing recovery initiatives to support our community's rebuilding and resilience efforts.

Reducing Insurance Premiums through Community-Scale Mitigation: A Status Report

by Tucker, Firebrand Resiliency Collective and Russ Schweikert of Ashland Insurance, Inc. Compiled by Tessa Elbettar, JCC LTRG

Wildfire risk is a growing concern for homeowners and insurance companies in Jackson County. As the frequency of climate-induced disasters rises, including wildfires, many people worry about what will happen to their homeowner insurance. Rogue Reimagined Recovery Project 4: Reduce Insurance Premiums advocates for actions to keep insurance affordable and available for homeowners. As insurance companies raise premiums or pull out entirely of high-risk areas, local organizations such as Firebrand Resiliency Collective are working to develop solutions. Tools include Firewise designations and other community efforts that strengthen our community resilience to wildfires and reduce our neighborhood risk. Below is a status report of current actions, upcoming focuses, and challenges, with mitigation strategies for Recovery Project 4: Reduce Insurance Premiums.

Current Work:

  • Two local stakeholders sit on the Division of Financial Regulation State Insurance Advisory Committee: Tucker Teutsch from Firebrand Resiliency Collective and Russ Schweikert from Ashland Insurance, Inc.

  • Ashland’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) team is creating an implementation workgroup focused on insurance.

  • Tucker Teutsch is talking to insurance companies to find out which actions they care about. Right now, most companies are waiting and unsure about how to measure wildfire risk.

Upcoming Focus

  • Expand and formalize community-level efforts like Firewise designations and risk assessments to support collective action. Build support for these efforts at both the state and local levels.

  • Encourage insurance companies to reward homeowners and neighborhoods that reduce wildfire risks.

  • Support bills like HB 3172, SB 85, and SB 340 that aim to keep premiums affordable in wildfire-prone areas.

  • Push local governments to create codes for new buildings that reduce wildfire risks.

    Anticipated Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

    1. Limited Adoption and Unclear Standards

Challenge: The "Wildfire Prepared" IBHS designation is not well-known, and only a few insurance companies use it. It can also be expensive and not practical for older homes. The insurance industry is still figuring out how best to reduce wildfire risk.

Strategy:

  • Continue advocacy and participation in the State Insurance Advisory Committee.

  • Push for local standards and building codes to reduce wildfire risks.

  • Support neighborhood efforts and designations that indicate reduced wildfire risk.

5. Data Gaps and Risk Priorities in Insurance

Challenge: Insurance companies base decisions on profitability and risk, focusing mostly on individual homes. There is little trusted data showing the value of community-wide mitigation. Different data models create confusion and limit the impact of local efforts.

Strategy:

  • Design community-level home assessments that align with insurer data needs.

  • Partner with data experts and risk modelers to validate local efforts.

  • Work directly with insurers to create programs that reflect their priorities.

  • Share clear, measurable results to show how mitigation reduces risk and supports insurance decisions.

3. Capacity and Funding Constraints

Challenge: There are not enough trained people to do home assessments. We also don't have a standard method for collecting data. Right now, we lack enough resources in the community to complete this work.

4. Structural Barriers to Innovation

Challenge: The insurance industry is slow to change. Concerns about data security and homeowners’ lack of trust in insurers make it hard to collaborate.

Strategy:

  • Encourage insurance companies to take part in wildfire mitigation plans.

  • Work with local and state groups to make sure efforts are coordinated.

    How you can get involved:

    To learn more about local efforts and how you can get involved, check out Firebrand Resiliency Collective’s Ready NOW program. This program focuses on practical ways to reduce wildfire risk in communities, including creating Firewise Communities, holding listening sessions to set resilience goals, and offering Home Wildfire Risk Assessments.

Detailed Progress Report