Taunton residents warn steep insurance hikes are threatening housing stability

Dozens of residents from Taunton’s seven manufactured-home communities told city officials at a public forum in the Taunton City Council chambers that sharply higher homeowners insurance premiums and shrinking insurer options are threatening their housing stability.

“Premiums have raised up an average of 39.5%,” said Donna Dias, who led the forum’s insurance committee and has worked with resident organizers. “We’re not getting the coverage that we deserve.”

The forum, organized by residents of Rocky Noll Estates and other local parks under the Taunton Manufactured Home Communities (TMHC) group, focused on three recurring complaints: large premium increases, limited competition among insurers (many residents cited Foremost and American Modern as the most-common writers), and difficulty obtaining replacement-cost coverage for older homes.

Why it matters: Many residents said they are seniors on fixed incomes who cannot absorb sudden increases. Karen (last name withheld), a Colonial Estates resident, described a year-to-year rise in her premium from about $800 to $3,300. Laura Carroll, another Colonial Estates resident, said…