Mississippi will soon become the latest state to offer wind protection grants to homeowners if its governor signs the bill approved by lawmakers this week.
Senate Bill 2049 Revived a 20-year-old retrofit program and created the Strengthening Mississippi Housing program to provide grants of up to $15,000 for mitigation measures. The bill, approved by the House and Senate on Wednesday, would not require property and casualty insurance companies to offer premium discounts but would require insurers to notify policyholders of available discounts and credits.
The state Department of Insurance must also provide an annual report to the governor and legislators showing the number of grants awarded, the amount of premium discounts given to grant recipients, and the number of homes certified to meet the reinforced roof standards established by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.
The bill says the Interior Department could contract with another agency to administer the program and could establish rules and standards for grant recipients. That could help with final passage of the bill, which has been delayed due to concerns from some lawmakers about the Department of Insurance, Mississippi Today news site report.
A wind protection plan was developed in 2007 after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi coast, news outlets reported. But the program was not funded until 2024 for the pilot project, and funding for the program was not renewed last year.
Funding for the enhancement program will likely come primarily from a separate $15 million appropriations bill from DOI, which is also awaiting the governor’s signature. Additional funding will come from fees for applications and certificates of authorization from insurance companies and agents.
The bill reads: “…after July 1, 2026, of the fifty dollars ($50.00) fee charged for the filing and processing of a certificate of authority of attorney, twenty-five dollars ($25.00) shall be deposited into the State General Fund and twenty-five dollars ($25.00) shall be deposited into the Strengthening Mississippi Homes Fund.”
Several states have now adopted some type of mitigation program for residential and/or commercial properties. Alabama is widely considered to have one of the strongest programs required to provide reinforced roofs to many grant recipients. Florida has awarded more than $400 million in grants under its program over the past few years.
Photo: Hurricane Katrina hits the Mississippi coast in 2005. (AdobeStock)
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