San Mateo County leaders are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to step in and declare a state of emergency over California's home insurance crisis.
The move follows suit with other counties, including Shasta, Placer and San Bernardino calling on the state to take action.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to adopt a resolution calling for a state of emergency. District 3 Supervisor Ray Mueller is leading the effort, saying his constituents -- some of whom live in unincorporated areas -- are impacted by the soaring costs or outright cancellations of home insurance policies.
"At this point, it is not an exaggeration to say that the state’s facing an insurance crisis in affordability and accessibility as it affects those in rural forested parts of the state the hardest, all in response to increasing wildfires and natural disasters," Mueller said. "I see it throughout my district. People are having their insurance canceled on them or they're having their rates go sky high, and it is an incredible problem."
If policy owners are not able to continue with coverage through private insurers, they have the option of getting coverage through the California FAIR Plan, which is a last ditch option because, as Mueller puts it, rates double or even triple while coverage is not the same.
The Mercury News reported that State Farm is projecting dropping 1 million policies in California over the next five years.
Some agree with Mueller that the insurance crisis can slow or halt the housing market and have a further ripple effect on affordable housing.
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