It’s National Homeownership Month
The President has declared June National Homeownership Month showcasing homeownership as a source of economic strength. June 1 was also the first day of the 2021 Hurricane Season, where a hurricane can turn that economic strength into a monumental life-altering disaster in a matter of hours. Not all disasters can be prevented, but if you take certain steps to prepare, you can increase your chances of either surviving the disaster or being in a better position to rebuild. Here is some of the advice offered by the experts in our documentary film The Last House Standing.
-Joel May of BASF says having a safe home starts with awareness: “Understanding your vulnerability, where can you make your home stronger or fortify a building? Do everything you can to make sure your home is as durable as possible. Get it inspected to find out where you are vulnerable.” Ask friends and neighbors for names of quality inspectors and check their references.
-Don’t just focus on the aesthetics of your home. Learn how your roof is attached to the walls, and how the walls attach to the foundation. All the expensive countertops and custom cabinetry won’t matter if your house gets washed away or blown away by a storm. As homeowner Christina Robinson told us “your house is only as strong as its weakest point, and apparently houses have a lot of weak points.”
-Insurance, insurance, insurance. This is a crucial line of defense every homeowner or renter needs. You need to actually read your policy and understand what type of coverage you have. Tom Little of floodproofing.com stresses how important it is to have flood insurance. He says the victims from Hurricane Harvey in Houston weren’t even living in a high-risk flood area, “They were in a low to moderate risk area, they could have bought flood insurance for less than $300 a year and had financial protection.” Having that insurance can be the difference between getting wiped out or having the ability to start over.
We have several resources on The Last House Standing website that will help you be better prepared. We’ve also provided a list of must ask questions that you need to get answered before you buy your house. Just “owning a home” isn’t enough, you need to own a “safe home.”
Aris Papadopoulos, author of Resilience The Ultimate Sustainability says the bottom line is people need to understand the importance of having a resilient home. “The truth is if people knew how important having a resilient home is and would value it, they definitely would be better off. Their investment would be protected, their possessions would be protected, and more importantly, their lives and their families would be protected.” If we really want to take National Home Ownership Month seriously, it will require not just “having a home” but having a home that will actually have a chance to survive the next big disaster.