EMPOWERING HOMEOWNERS: THE IMPACT OF FORTIFIED ROOFS ON COMMUNITIES
February 06, 2024 | Written by PEOPLE’S HOUSING+
Brenda Brossett knew a new roof was beyond her means for her Gentilly home, so it came as a surprise when People’s Housing Plus (PH+) told her a new Fortified roof was a possibility. Working with PH+ Stewardship Manager Erania Ellis and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB), 75-year old Brossett now has a stronger, more resilient roof and she should be able to get lower homeowner’s insurance because of it.
“I couldn’t have afforded a new roof, and I now have a better roof. I'm thrilled about it,” says Brossett.
A happy Brenda Brossett stands on her front porch with her newly installed Fortified roof
A Fortified roof refers to standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety and when installed by a trained and certified roofing contractor–PH+ partners with Mackie One Construction–results in a roof that can better withstand severe weather like hurricanes. And because the roof is stronger that will lower the homeowner's insurance cost. For more than a decade, Alabama has been subsidizing the cost of the roof upgrades through a grant program, and Louisiana recently also began offering $10,000 grants to homeowners, but the program is currently closed after approving 3,000 grantees through a lottery system.
Many have applauded the Louisiana program as a step in the right direction, but there have also been criticisms. As pointed out in a recent Nola.com article, the vast majority of the grants were awarded to higher income individuals and funds weren’t set aside for those with lower incomes like Brossett, who mostly lives off her monthly social security payment. Plus, because the grant is limited to $10,000 and doesn’t pay for the required $500 evaluation fee, many homeowners couldn’t afford to apply for the program.
Stewardship is a key component to PH+’s work, and the affordable housing organization works directly with its homeowners to ensure these families can remain in their homes after the purchase. Stewardship can take many forms such as helping a homeowner find reputable contractors, conducting workshops on wills and succession planning, and helping them maintain their homes. Ellis realized that many homeowners might need more than just a $10,000 grant to pay for a Fortified roof.
“I found out about the FHLB program and I knew it was a better fit for our homeowners,” Ellis says. “It’s through the federal government and nonprofits like us apply for the grants instead of individuals, and it’s income based, meaning it’s for people in lower income brackets. Plus, these are $15,000 grants, so our homeowners are able to take advantage of it.”
FHLB initially approved PH+ for $250,000 in funding, and the bank recently extended that to a threshold of $750,000. The grants do not pay for retrofitting the structure, but Ellis says that hasn’t been a problem because PH+ are all new construction built to higher standards. To date, PH+ along with Mackie One Construction have completed five roofs with 15 more to be finished by April. With the increased funding, Ellis expects to have many more happy homeowners like Brossett.
“Erania has been great,” Brossett says. “I met her at the PH+ homeowner’s picnic and she told me about the program. She told me what to do with all my papers. I did all that and she took it from there.”
Get Your Answers on Homeowners’ Insurance & State’s Fortified Roof Program!
Join our Q&A session for clear answers! PH+ will be hosting Ron Henderson, Deputy Commissioner of Consumer Advocacy for the Louisiana department of insurance. Don't miss out—open to PH+ homeowners and the public!
Interested in finding out about how you can participate in the FHLB Fortified Roof Grant Program?
Please contact Erania Ellis
erania@phplusnola.org
