With a potentially powerful hurricane about to make landfall in the Sunshine State, Floridians have received some sobering news.
Residents of Florida now have the highest property-insurance rates in the nation. The Insurance Information Institute reports the average premium in Florida is $4,231 — nearly triple the U.S. average of $1,544.
Many Floridians feel fortunate simply to have coverage for their home, which is usually their No. 1 investment.
“I constantly read posts on Nextdoor and Facebook from many fellow Villagers that have had their property insurance canceled as insurers are fleeing the state,” said Angela Clark of the Village of Caroline.
“I am so happy Gov. DeSantis has dedicated the Florida budget and his time to fixing that problem instead of focusing on stupid culture war stunts…oh wait…rolls eyes as a major tropical storm is taking direct aim at Florida,” she said.
Judy Wilson of the Village of Hacienda fears Florida will be become both unaffordable and uninsurable for those who looked forward to spending their golden years here. She said Florida could be facing an economic crisis.
“Many elderly will need to move to another state that we can afford to live in,” she said.
DeSantis’ Democratic rival Charlie Crist has been sounding the alarm on the insurance issue as the hurricane threat looms.
“Ron DeSantis is the worst property insurance governor in Florida history. Yet another hurricane is poised to hammer Florida and hundreds of thousands of homeowners have lost their insurance coverage because they can’t afford their premiums or carriers have canceled their policies with no warning,” Crist said.
Villager Ash Marwah, who is running for the Florida House of Representatives is wondering where the $2 billion spent earlier this year on bolstering the insurance industry has gone.
“The state gave $2 billion for reinsurance, but our premiums keep on skyrocketing,” said the Village of Belvedere resident.
Share your thoughts on the insurance crisis at letters@villages-news.com
