Priced Out: Climate Change, Home Insurance, and the People Stuck in the Middle

Climate change is making home insurance more expensive and less available, as the multibillion-dollar losses caused by hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters increase in scale. Rising insurance premiums can push some people to relocate or force others to either pay more money to remain in their home or go without insurance and risk catastrophe if disaster strikes. Residents, insurance companies, and policymakers in high-income countries are beginning to reckon with these issues and are working to find a way to adequately offset risk without charging exorbitant prices. This episode features Talley Burley, who analyzes climate risk and insurance at the Environmental Defense Fund. Subscribe to Changing Climate, Changing Migration on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.   Chapters 02:17 How Climate Change Is Raising Insurance Costs 06:04 Hazards Driving Insurability Concerns 07:38 Insurance Costs as a Driver of Migration 09:49 Climate Entrapment and Equity Issues 15:13 Policy Solutions: Adaptation, Building Codes and Wraparound Services 18:52 The National Flood Insurance Program: Origins and Trade-offs 26:00 Hurricane Sandy: Lessons in Recovery and Relocation