At our November OFSC monthly meeting, we heard from Jen Goodlin, Executive Director of the Rebuild Paradise Foundation. Founded after the 2018 Camp Fire, the organization partners with Paradise and surrounding communities to support grant programs and advocate for insurance companies to return to the region.
Implementing Zone 0
As some homes in the Paradise area were rebuilt to the “Fortified Gold Standard” set by the Insurance Institute for Building and Home Safety (IBHS), many homeowners found that meeting the IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home standard still wasn’t enough to secure insurance coverage. A piece desired by insurers in the burn areas was the emerging Zone 0 standards.
To help homeowners adapt to Zone 0, Rebuild Paradise created programs focused on programs like the Defensible Space – Gravel Grant. The program offers vouchers to help homeowners replace vegetation with gravel within the first five feet of their homes. The changes help improve home survivability in a wildfire as well as insurability.
Bringing Insurance Companies Back
Rebuild Paradise took their advocacy directly to insurance companies and the California Department of Insurance. Bringing insurers to their community to show the work they have done to reduce the risk and rally for coverage in their zip code. This advocacy resulted in 200 homeowners being able to leave the California Fair Plan and four insurers returning to writing policies in the area.
Learning From Those Rebuilding
Rebuild Paradise Foundation is actively working within its community to support the long-term wildfire recovery and rebuilding process. Their experience and advocacy on home hardening, defensible space, and navigating insurance offers valuable lessons to our community.
Seeing their progress helps us in Oakland
as we work to educate homeowners on Zone 0 and in the continued battle to insure homes located in wildfire-prone areas of California.