Paradise Mayor Steve Crowder flew to Washington, D.C. this week to plead for federal dollars and policy fixes as California homeowners brace for yet another round of insurance hikes. The trip underscores how the Butte County town, still rebuilding from the 2018 Camp Fire, remains acutely exposed to premium shocks and insurer pullouts. Crowder has argued that federal help for fuel reduction, land management and targeted grants could blunt steep rate jumps for local residents.
Mayor Takes His Case To D.C.
According to Action News Now, Crowder headed to the capital with two town staffers for meetings with members of Congress and federal agencies. On the table: direct funding for mitigation projects and policy changes aimed at slowing premium increases. He floated ideas like tax credits and other incentives to keep coverage within reach and said he has been talking with Sen. Adam Schiff’s office about those options. Paradise officials say the strategy is to braid federal dollars with local mitigation work to make homes less risky to insure.
Testimony And Forest Policy
In early February, Crowder joined wildfire experts in testimony before a House Natural Resources subcommittee, where he backed the Fix Our Forests Act and argued that coordinated fuel-reduction work would lower insurance risk, according to North State Public Radio. The hearing linked recent deadly fires to gaps in warning systems and land maintenance and amplified local calls for stronger federal coordination. Crowder’s latest D.C. swing follows that public testimony and additional agency meetings, the outlet notes.
How Big A Hit Insurers Expect
Insurify’s 2026 homeowner report projects that California could see average homeowner premiums climb roughly 16% by year’s end, driven largely by wildfire losses and higher rebuilding costs, per Insurify. National coverage of that forecast puts California among the states expected to be hardest hit and frames the jump as part of several years of rising costs across the country, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. For many homeowners, a 16% bump means shelling out several hundred more dollars per year on top of prior increases.
Regulatory Fixes Aim To Blunt Spikes
State regulators have been rolling out a Sustainable Insurance Strategy, tweaks to rate-review rules and a FAIR Plan clearinghouse intended to steady the market and coax insurers back into fire-prone areas, according to an Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance transcript. Department of Insurance officials told lawmakers those tools could help but cautioned that shifting the market and shrinking the FAIR Plan will not happen overnight. Advocates say the reforms are necessary, but no one is promising a quick turnaround for towns staring down immediate premium pressure…