The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to conduct objective, scientific research to identify and promote effective actions that strengthen homes, businesses and communities against natural disasters and other causes of loss. The IBHS FORTIFIED program is a series of technical standards and designation processes that use IBHS science to help tens of thousands of families live in homes that can withstand severe weather.

On January 27, 2021, IBHS announced a new FORTIFIED Multifamily™ standard, which lays the path for multifamily developers, owners and property managers to better protect residents against severe weather, including powerful high winds and heavy rain from thunderstorms, derechos, hurricanes and even tornadoes. More information is available at https://ibhs.org/ibhs-news-releases/fortified-program-expands-to-include-multifamily-communities/.

In addition to expanding the FORTIFIED program to multifamily communities, IBHS has committed to the following steps to help make the availability of resilient homes more accessible throughout the country.

• IBHS will offer its FORTIFIED Home™ certification courses at no cost to nonprofit organizationsbuilding for families with low to moderate incomes.
• IBHS will also eliminate the small administrative feeit collects to review and process FORTIFIED designations for single family homes built by a nonprofit organization for families with low to moderate incomes.
• IBHS will advance research-based affordable resilience solutions, including guidance on ways to make manufactured and modular homes more resilient, through public policy initiatives.
• IBHS will continue its commitment to collaborate with partner organizations dedicated to finding solutions for making all housing more resilient, including creating collaborative opportunities between its member insurance companies, federal, state, local, and Tribal entities, nonprofits and others who build or have a shared interest in resilient homes and strengthened communities.

IBHS Web Site: www.disastersafety.org