IBHS News Releases

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is representing the insurance industry as part of the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). The coalition also includes key federal agencies concerned with housing and leaders from the home building, product manufacturing and financial industries.

"IBHS and its member insurance companies are pleased to join PATH because it incorporates our vision of America among its objectives -- a nation that provides its citizens attractive, affordable housing that can withstand damage from windstorms, earthquakes, wildfires, hail or floods," said William E. Thomas, senior vice president-personal lines underwriting, SAFECO Insurance Cos. Thomas is a member of the IBHS board of directors.

Thomas observed that every community is exposed to catastrophic damage from natural disasters. "We can't always locate our homes completely out of harm's way, but we can build them so they better withstand what nature throws at them," he said. "We can make all new homes more resilient by using the most up-to-date techniques and materials that reduce natural disaster risks. And we can use the same techniques to retrofit -- or strengthen -- existing homes."

Thomas pointed out that for natural disaster mitigation to be effective, it must be affordable, noting that the use of appropriate materials and construction from the beginning adds only three to five percent to the cost of a new home. Conversely, retrofitting an existing home can sometimes be prohibitively expensive.

As a result, he said, IBHS recommends that PATH partners also work to cut in half the cost of making existing homes more disaster-resistant in the next decade. Thomas said that while achieving this goal would primarily benefit the owners of existing homes, it would help those building new homes as well.

"IBHS is eager to work with the other PATH partners in this initiative to develop and showcase disaster-resistant homes," said Thomas. "And the institute accepts the challenge of leading the effort to develop new practices and knowledge that provide resistance to natural disasters at less cost."