Source: Press Release
It’s been a year since the Republican state legislature passed a controversial bill that affects building codes in North Carolina. House Bill 488 reorganized the state’s Building Code Council (BCC) and made changes to the state building code.
The changes to the state building code block updates that were previously approved by the state’s BCC, updates that would make North Carolina homes sturdier and more efficient.
The bill drew criticism from Democrats in the House and Senate and was vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper.
“This bill stops important work to make home construction safer from disaster and more energy efficient and ultimately will cost homeowners and renters more money. The bill also imperils North Carolina’s ability to qualify for FEMA funds by freezing residential building code standards,” Cooper said in a press release about the veto.
However, with a Republican supermajority in the legislature, the GOP overrode Cooper’s veto in August of last year, during hurricane season.
A year later, North Carolina can feel the effects Cooper mentioned. He released a statement regarding the bill, saying “Legislative Republicans moved North Carolina backward by recklessly blocking new building codes that would require new homes to be more resilient and efficient.”
With less resilient homes and natural disasters becoming more commonplace, the price of this bill lies with homeowners. HB 488 leaves North Carolinians more vulnerable to losses during natural disasters and left with higher home insurance costs.
Mike Causey, the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner, is a Republican and has spoken about the impact this bill has had on insurance for the people of this state. “Anytime you weaken state building codes, it has a direct impact on driving up homeowners insurance,” Causey said.
It’s not only homeowners paying the price of HB 488. Because the building codes aren’t updated, North Carolina has missed out on an estimated $70 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as HB 488 prohibits updates that comply with the agency’s standard. This year the state is set to receive $30 million in funding, over $70 million less than the previous year.
HB 488 prevents updates that would be in line with FEMA until 2031. That means that this costly trend will continue unless legislation changes.
