Lafayette Tackles Insurance Crisis, Backs Five State Bills as Fair Plan Policies Surge 91%

Lafayette's City Council turned its attention to the state's worsening homeowner insurance crisis and positioned itself behind a battery of state legislation, while also celebrating the community institutions — a 20-year-old senior transit program, a thriving library, and a cooperative garden — that define daily life in this East Bay city.

• Fair Plan policies in Lafayette's 94549 ZIP code jumped 91% in a single year, with roughly 1,773 policies now enforced; state insurance analyst briefed Council on three reform bills

• Council unanimously backs five state bills on e-bike registration, fire-zone mapping, e-bike speed limits, portable solar access, and penalties for insurers who deny coverage to fire-hardened homes

• Lamorinda Spirit Van celebrates 20 years, secures federal grant for operating assistance and two replacement vehicles expected by 2027

• $46.7M in federal funding advanced by Congressman DeSaulnier, including $2.8M for the Lafayette aqueduct pathway and $2M for Sunflower Hill supportive housing

• Lafayette Library hits 221,000 annual visitors, leads Contra Costa County in per capita ebook use; Council proclaims National Library Week

Why it matters: Lafayette homeowners are losing access to private insurance at an accelerating rate, and three bills pending in Sacramento aim to overhaul how the state handles wildfire-era coverage, claims, and smoke damage.