The Annual Conference of the Connecticut Housing Coalition

On Friday, October 29, 2004, I attended the Connecticut Housing Coalition’s annual conference for the first time. The theme of the event was: “Defining Home; Housing That Works for Everyone.” The event had speakers, a wide choice of lectures, brochures and food. The meeting was held at the Sheraton Stamford Hotel. This hotel is very familiar to me, since I had been a guest at the hotel some fifteen years ago, when it was called the “Tara Hotel.”

Upon entering the convention hall, I saw many tables laden with pamphlets, newsletters and token gifts. Local banks had tables with booklets on finding affordable mortgages. There were bountiful platters of breads, jams and fruits. Huge urns of coffee, tea and juice were available for free. I felt a bit guilty when seeing the huge piles of food available at the conference because the purpose of the meeting was to help the poor.

Speakers in the main ballroom made opening remarks. The featured guest speaker was Congressman Christopher Shays. Chris Shays is Republican, but well liked by many Democrats because he has a long record of accomplishments for helping people.

Chris spoke about a memorable experience while visiting a poor neighborhood in Chicago, some years ago. Chris had gone there to see how it is to live in a development. He told the audience about his overnight stay in his host’s apartment.

Initially, Chris’ host thought he was an FBI agent. After asking him if he had come for drugs or women, his host could not understand why Chris had wanted to stay in a dilapidated apartment for the evening. Congressman Shays explained to the audience that he learned why people in developments go outside late at night instead of staying home. The only way to cool off on a hot summer night is to go outside for a walk. After taking a long walk with his host, Chris opted to go to bed. The host left for a while, leaving Chris alone in the apartment. When his host closed the door, Chris noticed that there was no handle on the inside of the door and that he could not exit the room. Chris Shays claims that he now has a better understanding of what it is like to live in a development due to his trip to Chicago.

I attended two of the twenty-seven classes offered at the conference. They were: “Public Housing Faces the Future” and “How to Be an Effective Advocate.” The classes were interesting and informative. I plan to attend the Connecticut Housing Coalition’s conference again, next year. However, next time I’ll stay for hors d’oevres!

Reference:
Connecticut Housing Coalition:

http://www.ct-housing.org/

Low Insurance Rates With Monolithic Domes, Part 2

The Tuttle’s agent, Noel D. Walton, understood that fire risk to the concrete dome house is almost zero, that there is no risk of damage from hail, and that the only risk is for the contents of the house, and not for the structure.

Walton, contacted the Texas Department of Insurance, seeking a risk evaluation of the Tuttle house. The Tuttles met with Willard Goss, a representative of the Texas Department of Insurance. Using blueprints, construction data and other information, Goss made a physical inspection and evaluation. Goss provided a rating that is far lower than the best conventional rate. The Tuttle’s dome structure rates at 60% of the brick rate. The dome structure rates 10% of the conventional rate for extended coverage and loss from windstorms, hurricanes and hail. The contents of the dome house rate at 20% of the premium for brick structures.

Insurance agent, Noel D. Walton, suggests that Monolithic Dome owners should look for a caring agent who is willing to do a little extra work to get a lower rate. Richard Baker, an Inspections Department Manager at the Texas Department of Insurance in Austin, says that Monolithic Dome structures should be evaluated as “noncombustible masonry.”

Seeking help from your state regulatory agency will be very helpful.

Reference:
Monolithic Dome Institute Article on Homeowners Insurance:

http://www.monolithic.com/gallery/homes/insurance/index.html

Low Insurance Rates With Monolithic Domes, Part 1

Don and Shirley Tuttle found an insurance policy for their large dome home at a very low rate. The Monolithic Dome Institute feels that other dome owners can find low insurance rates in Texas and in other states if you follow some guidelines.

The Tuttle family has a Monolithic Dome home in Shamrock, Texas. Shamrock is a small town of about 2500, east of Amarillo. After shopping for homeowner’s insurance, the Tuttles found an insurance policy for $174. The home is a triple dome house built with three 37-foot domes, totaling 2,600 square feet.

The Tuttle’s prior policy was dropped by the insurance company within a year after the dome was built. So, the Tuttles shopped around until they found a helpful agent who felt that a dome structure should not have as high a rate as a conventional structure. After looking for another insurance agent and having a state regulatory agent do an evaluation, the Tuttles received a policy at 60%, 20% and 10% below the rate of a conventional house of the same size.

Reference:
Monolithic Dome Institute Article on Homeowners Insurance:

http://www.monolithic.com/gallery/homes/insurance/index.html

Earthquakes, Recent and Future

Early today, A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra island of Indonesia. Indonesia has had several earthquakes since the large earthquake that produced a tsunami on December 26, 2004. The tsunami killed more than 128,000 people in Indonesia and more than 40,000 across the Indian Ocean.

An 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Nias Island on March 28, 2004. The death toll is reported to be 905, and is expected to rise as more bodies are found. Thousands of survivors are left homeless and thousands of buildings have been destroyed.

The California Sierra-Nevada area that borders Nevada is expected to have an earthquake in the near future.

Although many earthquakes have damaged buildings and killed people in California during the last fifty years, trends show that few people are buying earthquake coverage. Less than 15 percent of Californian homeowners have earthquake insurance.

New stronger bankruptcy laws and climbing high housing costs increase the need for insurance. The bankruptcy laws will make it harder for Americans to walk away from earthquake damage and declare bankruptcy. Insurance is a good idea for homeowners, especially if their house is not a dome structure that can withstand an earthquake.

Reference:

Earthquake March 28:

http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-04-25-voa34.cfm

Sierra-Nevada future quake:

http://fox40.trb.com/news/ktxl-042605quakes,0,2548580.story?coll=ktxl-news-3

Quake insurance:

http://www.sgvtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,205~12220~2836345,00.html