Slightly more than half of Americans say that weather events are becoming an increasing risk factor for their homes, while nearly one in five report difficulties in accessing homeowners insurance. This is according to results of a survey conducted by NeighborWorks America, a congressionally chartered community development organization.
The heightened concern reflects “a growing recognition of climate change and its direct implications for housing security,” NeighborWorks said.
“The findings highlight notable differences in awareness depending on income levels,” according to the report. “Households with higher incomes are more likely to say that climate-related risks are increasing, with 61% of households with income above $100,000 and 57% of households with income between $50,0000 and $100,000 saying their risk is growing somewhat or a lot. Forty-five percent of households with income below $50,000 acknowledge the same threat.”
The rising perception of climate risks also correlates to challenges that Americans have in accessing adequate insurance coverage. This also changes based on income levels, according to the survey.
“The survey results indicate that 24% of higher income households and 21% of households with income between $50,000 and $100,000 encounter difficulty getting access to coverage, compared to 16% of lower income households,” the report explained. “Importantly, 18% of renters report having difficulty accessing insurance due to the risk of extreme weather conditions where they live.”
Americans largely recognize the heightened level of risk that these climate events could bring, but many are simply unable to find adequate insurance to protect against them, according to Marietta Rodriguez, the president and CEO of NeighborWorks America.
“[T]he challenge to access adequate and affordable insurance also underscores a significant preparedness gap that must be addressed given one-third of households say they are not prepared to deal with extreme weather events,” she said.
Nearly one-quarter of respondents (22%) said they had trouble obtaining “adequate and affordable” insurance coverage, a share that was higher for homeowners (26%). Meanwhile, 19% of renters reported having similar issues.
Nearly half of respondents (46%) said they were concerned that an extreme weather event would force them to find a new home, with 27% saying they were “very concerned” and 19% saying they were “somewhat concerned.”
The data follows the arrival of a serious weather event in the form of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Thursday. According to estimates from ABC News, the death toll stood at 120 of Monday.
