Just over a year after Clear Lake residents voiced concerns about skyrocketing windstorm insurance costs, legislators passed a new law that will make such costs more affordable for certain people living along the coast.
The overview
In 2022, Debra Doss of Natchez Landing, a 108-unit condominium complex along Clear Lake in Seabrook, said the condo association’s windstorm insurance about doubled from the previous year. The costs for windstorm insurance are divided up among each unit in the form of monthly dues, she said.
On top of the price increase, Natchez Landing was denied by over 30 insurers before association officials found an insurer, she said.
Now, due to House Bill 998, beginning Sept. 1, 2024, residents at Natchez Landing and other condo and townhome associations will likely see large savings, said Doss and Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Houston, who authored the bill.
What they're saying
“I wanted to help these people because they’re struggling. They want to be insured,” Paul said.
“If it wasn’t for [Paul], we would still be working to try to figure something out,” Doss said.
The takeaway
Paul worked to pass HB 998 on behalf of residents who can’t acquire affordable windstorm and property insurance.
Originally, Doss and her neighbors wanted to expand the boundaries of the Texas Windstorm Association to include Natchez Landing’s eligibility for government-subsidized insurance. Its boundaries encompass the entirety of several counties along the Gulf Coast, but in Harris County, only the area east of Hwy. 146 is covered.
However, Paul instead opted to push for changing the rules for the Texas Fair Plan Association, which also exists to provide more affordable insurance, to include condo associations within 10 miles of the coast. This way, residents have more affordable insurance overall, not just for windstorms, Paul said.
