Session

Statistics show that every dollar spent on mitigation measures to make a home or business more resilient saves $6 in repair costs following a disaster.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has partnered with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) to help homeowners and business owners become more aware of their risks and help make their properties more resilient to future disasters.

The greatest challenges in improving disaster resiliency are awareness and funding. This presentation will address both.

SBA’s Alejandro Contreras will discuss the agency’s disaster loan program, how it can provide low-interest funding for repairs and additional funding for mitigation measures to help reduce future damages.

IBHS presenters will discuss FORTIFIED Commercial™ and FORTIFIED Home™, both national standards for resilient construction. FORTIFIED is a set of voluntary, science-based construction standards used to build resilient residential and commercial buildings. IBHS’s FORTIFIED programs have affordable and effective building principles, construction practices, and verification requirements that can protect homes and businesses from the devastation of disasters.