Orinda, Calif. — A palpable sense of concern gripped the community of Orinda as homeowners gathered at a town hall meeting to confront the escalating homeowners’ insurance crisis. The specter of policy cancellations looms large, with major insurance providers such as State Farm leading the charge, citing the pervasive threat of wildfires.
Residents, grappling with the imminent prospect of losing their insurance coverage, turned out in force seeking clarity and recourse. Herb Brown, a long-time Orinda resident, encapsulated the prevailing sentiment, expressing his apprehension: “That’s basically why I came. To see if my worst fears were realized and they are.”
Brown’s plight mirrors that of countless others across the Bay Area who find themselves thrust into the throes of the statewide insurance debacle. Having received notice of impending policy termination, he faces an uncertain future. “I don’t have a plan right now,” he confessed.
At the heart of the issue lies the staggering reality that thousands of policies are being rescinded due to wildfire risk, a fact underscored by State Farm’s decision to cancel 30,000 policies statewide, nearly 2,000 of which are in Orinda alone.
Maria Waterman, another affected homeowner, voiced the collective desperation pervading the community: “Since I’m not going to be renewed come August 1st, maybe my home will burn down before August at least then I’ll still be insured. So that’s how desperate we all are.”
In response to the escalating crisis, the State Department of Insurance, along with Orinda Mayor Darlene Gee, convened a town hall meeting to address the concerns of residents. However, the emotional toll was evident, with Mayor Gee acknowledging the severity of the situation: “We have been very hard hit, we were one of the hardest hit communities, but it’s very emotional.”
Despite the state offering a temporary safety net policy for homeowners unable to secure coverage in the marketplace, the demand far exceeds supply, with 1,000 people applying for it daily.
Deputy Commissioner, outlining the state’s strategy to stabilize the insurance market, detailed the California Sustainable Insurance Strategy, which mandates that insurance companies cover no less than 85 percent of homes and businesses in distressed areas identified by the insurance commissioner.
While the state aims to implement several reforms by December
