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Insure Our Communities New York
Protecting New Yorkers from the Growing Climate Insurance Crisis
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Crisis Alert
The Storm Before the Storm: A Crisis Unfolding
Across the country, climate-fueled disasters are affecting millions of Americans, and New York is no exception. Wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and extreme storms are becoming more frequent and more destructive, threatening the safety and security of our communities.
At the same time, insurance companies are raising premiums, cutting coverage, or pulling out entirely from high-risk and underprivileged areas. Families who have lived in their homes for generations are suddenly finding themselves unable to afford the protection they need.
This isn't just a climate justice issue. It's a housing justice issue, an economic justice issue, and a racial justice issue. And without immediate action, the crisis will only deepen, leaving vulnerable New Yorkers exposed.
The National Insurability Crisis: By the Numbers
Home insurance is getting more expensive nationwide, and insurers are pulling back from some regions as the cost of disasters grows. The data tells a stark story of abandonment and rising costs.
7M
Homeowners
At risk of losing affordable coverage across the United States
63%
Premium Increase
Average rise in homeowner insurance costs since 2020
3
Major States
Where insurers have completely withdrawn from the market
$1.5B
Annual Impact
Additional costs passed to consumers by insurance companies
Who Pays the Price?
Major insurers have left multiple states or stopped issuing new homeowner policies in places like California, Florida, and Louisiana. And bills are landing hardest on low-income, BIPOC, and coastal communities, who already face disproportionate climate harm.
Millions of people are being priced out of the insurance market entirely, putting families, neighborhoods, and entire regions at risk. The pattern is clear: those who contributed least to the climate crisis are bearing the heaviest burden of its consequences.
In New York, we're seeing early warning signs. Premiums are rising. Coverage is shrinking. Communities are being left behind. We must act now before the crisis becomes catastrophic.
The Hypocrisy
Insure Our Communities, Not Fossil Fuels
1
The Problem
The insurance industry's main response to this crisis has been to pass the burdens of climate-driven payouts onto consumers, including millions of hard-working New Yorkers. Families are paying more for less protection.
2
The Hypocrisy
Even as insurance companies respond to the climate-driven insurance crisis by abandoning communities and passing costs on to consumers, they continue to invest in and underwrite the very coal, oil, and gas companies that are fueling the flames of the climate crisis.
3
The Solution
The Insure Our Communities Act tackles both of these challenges at once, demanding that insurers serve the communities they're meant to protect while confronting the root causes of climate risk.
Legislation
The Insure Our Communities Act
A first-in-the-nation bill that tackles two connected crises: rising insurance costs and climate-driven risk. IOCA represents a bold, comprehensive approach to protecting New Yorkers while addressing the systemic causes of the insurance crisis.
Comprehensive Protection
IOCA creates a framework that keeps insurance affordable and accessible while ensuring that insurers can't abandon vulnerable communities or pass unlimited costs onto working families.
Climate Accountability
For the first time, insurers will be required to account for their role in both mitigating and contributing to climate risk, creating real incentives for responsible corporate behavior.
Key Provisions
Keep Insurance Affordable & Fair
01
Stop Unjustified Premium Hikes
Require real transparency from insurers and prevent arbitrary price increases that hurt families. Every rate change must be justified with clear data and rigorous review.
02
Guarantee Access for All Communities
Ensure coverage for all communities, especially those historically targeted by redlining and discriminatory practices. No neighborhood will be left without options.
03
Strengthen Consumer Protections
Ensure families aren't dropped, denied, or pushed into unaffordable plans. Create real accountability when insurers fail to serve their customers fairly.

What This Means for You
If you've experienced rising premiums or difficulty getting coverage, IOCA provides tools to fight back and ensures that regulators have the power to protect consumers from predatory practices.
Key Provisions
Confront Climate Risk Head-On
Plan for Real Impacts
Ensure insurers plan for real climate impacts, not shift the burden onto households. Companies must demonstrate how they're preparing for increased risk.
Prevent Abandonment
Prevent companies from abandoning climate-vulnerable neighborhoods. Insurers can't simply walk away when communities need them most.
Support Resilience
Keep coverage stable for communities facing floods, heat, storms, and wildfires. Build long-term stability instead of short-term profit-taking.
"We refuse to let insurance companies profit from the climate crisis while abandoning the communities who need protection most. The Insure Our Communities Act is about justice, accountability, and a livable future for all New Yorkers."
Why New York Must Lead
New York has always been at the forefront of progressive policy and climate action. The Insure Our Communities Act continues that tradition, offering a model for other states facing similar crises.
By passing IOCA, New York will send a clear message: we protect our communities, not corporate profits. We demand accountability from an industry that has benefited from our premiums while contributing to the very disasters that threaten our homes.
The climate crisis is here. The insurance crisis is here. But solutions are within reach if we have the courage to act. New Yorkers deserve leadership that puts families first.
Community Protection
Prioritizing vulnerable neighborhoods
Economic Justice
Fair access for all income levels
Climate Action
Holding polluters accountable
Take Action Today
The Insure Our Communities Act needs your voice. Contact your state legislators, join community organizing efforts, and demand that New York lead the way in protecting families from the climate insurance crisis.
1
Contact Your Representatives
Call or email your state senator and assembly member. Tell them you support the Insure Our Communities Act and expect them to fight for its passage.
2
Spread the Word
Share this information with friends, family, and neighbors. The more New Yorkers who understand what's at stake, the stronger our movement becomes.
3
Join the Movement
Connect with local organizations working on climate justice, housing justice, and insurance reform. Together, we're building power for change.
In New York? Contact Your Legislator!
Make your voice heard in just a few minutes.
Use our tool to find your State Senator and Assemblymember and urge them to support the Insure Our Communities Act.
Find Your State Assemblymember: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/