Orlando Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost sent a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this month calling on the Governor to meet with him to discuss Central Floridian’s concerns and deliver better outcomes.
The Central Florida Democratic Congressman added Florida’s property insurance market continues to collapse, leaving hundreds of homeowners uninsured in the face of unaffordable, skyrocketing costs.
Frost’s letter to Gov. DeSantis was sent just days after the Congressman hosted an emergency roundtable where local home and business owners, as well as aspiring homeowners shared their struggles to make ends meet while covering the rising costs of insurance and calls out the Governor’s failure to address this crisis during the recent emergency special session of the Florida Legislature. Rep. Frost, a Democrat, said Republican Governor DeSantis rakes in millions from the industry he is supposed to help regulate.
“These testimonies are just a small sample of the stories from residents of Florida’s 10th Congressional district,” wrote Congressman Frost. “What I heard emphasized the harm directly caused to Floridians by your lack of leadership to properly regulate the insurance industry, mitigate the destruction of extreme weather events, and make informed legislative decisions to solve the problem. I request an urgent meeting to discuss my constituent’s concerns and hear your plans for a solution to this crisis.”
Some of the stories the Democratic Congressman heard include:
- A long-time teacher paid off her home, but her insurance premium has increased by $1,000 per year, and she is now contemplating delaying her retirement, which was intended to be next year, just so she can afford the new payments.
- A homeowner who just had her insurance policy cancelled after two years, and is now receiving quotes ranging from $5,700 to $13,000 for new coverage with many would requiring her to install a new $15,000 roof just to get covered.
- A Habitat for Humanity homeowner had his policy cancelled and is now forced to choose between costly property insurance coverage and paying for his cell phone, internet, or car note.
- A realtor of 20 years has lost four deals this year due to the cost of property insurance. Though buyers were qualified to purchase homes, the cost of insurance pushed them out of the sale.
- A longtime local businessowner’s property insurance is going up an extra $500 per month, leaving them in a tough situation that will have a major impact, not just their profits, but on the Central Florida economy.
Here’s the full letter from Orlando Rep. Maxwell Frost to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis:
Frost_DeSantis_propertyinsurance
Good luck! Desantis doesn’t care.