California's insurer of last resort was meant to cover 'riot-prone areas,' not climate disasters

California's insurer of last resort was meant to cover 'riot-prone areas,' not climate disasters

Guest Commentary written by Bench Ansfield Bench Ansfield is an assistant professor of history at Temple University and author of “Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City.” Today, most think of the California FAIR plan as a safeguard against wildfire risk. Few are aware that the state’s insurance provider of last resort was created as a band-aid response to a very different L.A. conflagration: the Watts upris…

California’s insurer of last resort was meant to cover ‘riot-prone areas,’ not climate disasters

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Guest Commentary written by Bench Ansfield Bench Ansfield is an assistant professor of history at Temple University and author of “Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City.” Today, most think of the California FAIR plan as […] The post California’s insurer of last resort was meant to cover ‘riot-prone areas,’ not climate disasters…