Alabama Weighs Wind-Proofing Grants, Insurance Research Center
Some of the money that Alabama receives from BP over the Gulf oil spill could end up helping coastal residents make their homes more resistant to wind damage from hurricanes.
That is one of the recommendations from a commission that Gov. Robert Bentley appointed to study homeowners insurance. Bentley said that is one recommendation he wants to implement quickly.
The Affordable Homeowners Insurance Committee proposed setting aside $100 million. Bentley said he hasn’t decided on an amount, but he wants to use BP money to award grants to residents of Alabama’s two coastal counties, Baldwin and Mobile, who can’t afford to make their homes safer.
Bentley said he would also move to implement the commission’s recommendation to create an Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research at a state university. It would develop innovative approaches to solving insurance problems.
The committee’s other recommendations included enacting tougher building codes, adopting minimum qualifications for building code officials and pursuing alternative insurance policies, such as high-deductible policies with low premiums.