As wildfires become more destructive and homeowners' insurance premiums skyrocket, municipalities have been searching for ways to make their communities more resilient.
To that end, many local governments have begun imposing requirements that homes be built using fire-resistant materials such as stone, asphalt, concrete, and laminated wood.
Bend, Oregon, appears poised to become the next city to implement such a requirement, according to The Bulletin.
"As neighborhoods continue to grow, how we build today will determine whether our communities are resilient — or continually vulnerable — to the next major fire," said the Project Wildfire Neighborhood Coalition, per The Bulletin.
While elected officials have attempted to implement a statewide standard across Oregon, the move faced opposition. Consequently, the implementation of fire-safe building requirements has fallen to local jurisdictions.
While proponents have argued that the requirements could mitigate the spread of fires and lower insurance premiums, homebuilders have warned that the new restrictions could increase the cost of new homes.
"We also want local governments to recognize there is an increased cost associated with adopting this code," said Garrett Mosher of the Central Oregon Builders Association, per The Bulletin. "We encourage them to be prepared to help offset costs for property owners who can't afford it and to take into account the layering of costs that policy decisions create and their cumulative impact on housing affordability."
In addition to potential cost increases, opponents of the measure have raised concerns about the speed at which it could be implemented. The Bend City Council could hold a vote as early as April 1, even though some council members say that would be moving too fast.
"Targeting April 1 makes me really, really nervous," said Gina Franzosa, a member of the Bend City Council, per The Bulletin. "This is a surprise to me, so I would imagine it's a big surprise to builders."
The situation in Bend has shown that, when it comes to mitigating the impact of natural disasters and curbing skyrocketing insurance premiums, there are no easy fixes.
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