(The Center Square) − Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined roofing experts and nonprofit leaders Thursday morning in the 9th Ward to tour four homes fortifying their roofs — part of a growing state-led effort to better protect Louisiana homes from hurricane damage and lower property insurance rates.
“These aren’t just roofs — they’re peace of mind,” Temple said in an interview. “Talking to these homeowners, you get a real sense of relief. Whether they paid for the upgrades themselves or received a grant, everyone shares that same sense of security.”
The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, launched in 2023, offers up to $10,000 in grants to homeowners to retrofit their roofs to the highest standard of resilience.
The standard — developed by IBHS — uses enhanced construction techniques like stronger shingles, ring-shank nails, closer nailing patterns, and secondary water barriers to drastically reduce roof failure in windstorms. A recent study by IBHS found that such enhancements can cut hurricane-related roof damage by up to 70%.
Louisiana issued just 313 fortification certificates prior to 2023, but since funding for LFHP began, the state has seen explosive growth. As of February 2025, over 5,400 properties had received certifications — a 17-fold increase in just two years.
Much of the momentum has come from partnerships with local nonprofits. Rebuilding Together New Orleans has reroofed more than 100 homes since 2023, with plans to complete 200 roof projects in 2025 alone. GAF, North America’s largest roofing manufacturer, is providing key support and training for the initiative.
Temple highlighted a pilot program that combines LFHP funding with additional support from nonprofits for low-income homeowners who cannot cover the full cost of a fortified roof.
“Let’s say it costs $14,000 — we’ll provide the first $10,000 through the grant, and a nonprofit partner may bridge the rest. It gives people a path to resilience they otherwise wouldn’t have,” Temple said.
Temple also pointed to recent legislation expanding incentives beyond grants.
Thanks to legislation from Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, homeowners who install a fortified roof without a grant can now receive a state income tax deduction of up to $10,000. Another new provision offers a tax credit for those building new homes or replacing existing roofs — though that program is capped at $1 million in credits per fiscal year.
The focus so far has been on coastal parishes, where hurricane exposure and housing vulnerability are most acute. But Temple said the program could evolve to address regional risks statewide.
“Perhaps in North Louisiana you don’t need a complete fortified roof. Maybe you just need hail resistant shingles,” Temple said. “Obviously they don’t have the hurricane force winds there, but they do have more hail exposure. So I’m going to look at that and see how we can tailor this to benefit more citizens across the state, but tailor the program to more specific risk that their homes are exposed to.”
Fortified roofs don’t just reduce damage — they also drive down insurance premiums and help communities recover faster after storms, Temple said.
“When the roof stays on and the contents are dry, people can return home as soon as the utilities are back on. That keeps families together and keeps communities intact.”
Temple credited Alabama’s early adoption of fortified roofs for creating a model of resilience Louisiana now hopes to match.
“They’ve got over 60,000 fortified roofs in Alabama. That’s where we want to go. We’re not moving Louisiana, and we can’t control the weather. But we can control how we build. This program is a big step forward.”
The tour of the four homes brought together Temple, Fred Malik of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, Olivia Parker of Rebuilding Together New Orleans, and Mike Thomas of roofing manufacturer GAF to celebrate the program’s success and hear directly from homeowners benefitting from the upgrades.
