ROCKPORT, Texas — On Monday, the State House of Representative held an insurance committee in response to the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association's continued efforts to hike up insurance rates.
TWIA is looking to tack on a 5% increase and coastal communities are speaking out.
Rockport Mayor Patrick Rios attended the meeting and said his city has faced disaster several times over the past four years and the community just can't afford it.
"Since and including Hurricane Harvey, we have had nine declared disasters," Rios said. "We've had the effects of three hurricanes, a tropical storm, the COVID pandemic and winter storm."
Rios said three of those disasters happened this year and the proposed rate increase is coming at a time when the city, along with countless families, are still recovering.
"I think that what I'm trying to say is that right now, a rate increase would cause much mental and financial disaster for many," Rios added.
He is calling for the TWIA to "get creative" and find other solutions that don't involve increasing the hardship of an already devastated community.