Why Do We Keep Moving to Danger Zones?

A world where you're penalized for living in a place prone to natural disasters. That's what should happen according to basic economics. But our insurance system doesn't work that way. Instead, it encourages people to move to risky areas. This is a big problem, especially with climate change making these disasters more frequent and severe. Take the recent fires in Los Angeles, for example. They're one of the costliest disasters in U. S. history, with damages reaching up to $275 billion. Thousands of homes were destroyed, and these homes are often people's most valuable assets. But why did so many people live in such high-risk areas to begin with? Policymakers and regulators haven't really addressed this question. They're not dealing with the root cause of the problem. This means we could be heading towards an even worse disaster in the future. Natural markets would normally discourage people from moving to risky areas. But our policies interfere with this. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, in both blue and red states, want to keep home insurance premiums low, even when it's not safe or smart. This isn't fair. It distorts the market and wastes resources. It also puts lives at risk. We need to rethink our policies before it's too late.