State Farm announced last month that it would not be doing new business in the California home insurance market. The company cited historic increases in construction costs out pacing inflation, rapidly growing catastrophe exposure, and each challenging reinsurance market. Rising construction costs are not specifically a California issue; there is an overall shortage of workers in residential construction.
Two insurance giants will stop issuing new policies for California homes. CalMatters reporter Ben Christopher and Vox’s Umair Irfan say insurers have determined what homeowners refuse to accept: Climate change has made some parts of the country too risky to live in.
This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel King.
Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained
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