Smart Home America grew out of the destruction of Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina. Insurers were abandoning coastal markets. Homeowners were rebuilding the same vulnerable structures. A group of Alabama and Mississippi residents decided that had to change.

They identified the IBHS FORTIFIED construction standard as a proven solution and founded Smart Home America in 2009 to put it to work. SHA became the first organization to systematically implement FORTIFIED as a community-scale mitigation strategy. What started on the Gulf Coast has since expanded to 30+ states.

2001

  • Carl Schneider, a co-founder of what would become Smart Home America, builds a concrete family home in Fairhope, AL, demonstrating that stronger, more resilient construction was achievable for everyday homeowners.

2004

  • SHA's founders hold their first meeting to address the growing insurance and resilience crisis facing coastal homeowners.
  • Hurricane Ivan strikes Baldwin County as a Category 3 storm, causing widespread damage and deepening the urgency for stronger construction standards across coastal Alabama.

2005

  • Hurricane Katrina made landfall, devastating Gulf Coast communities and triggering insurer pullouts, premium increases, and coverage losses across the region.
  • SHA's founders begin actively promoting IBHS FORTIFIED construction as a solution to the insurance availability crisis and cycle of repetitive storm losses.

2006

  • With insurers retreating from coastal markets, SHA's founders intensify their efforts to educate homeowners, builders, and policymakers about the connection between construction quality and insurance availability.

2007

  • SHA's founders begin building awareness of FORTIFIED standards and stronger building codes across coastal Alabama and Mississippi, producing a report for the Alabama Insurance Underwriters Association (AIUA) to advance the case for resilient construction.

2008

  • The Alabama Insurance Underwriters Association begins offering discounts for FORTIFIED construction.
  • Commissioner Jim Ridling and Deputy Commissioner Charles Angel advance resilience efforts at the Alabama Department of Insurance, setting the stage for mandatory FORTIFIED incentives.

2009

  • Alabama passes SB 500, creating the first mandatory insurance discounts for FORTIFIED construction in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. SHA provides technical expertise to support passage.
  • Mississippi Windstorm Underwriters Association offers FORTIFIED discounts for coastal homeowners.
  • Smart Home America is incorporated as a 501(c)(3).

2010

  • IBHS releases FORTIFIED Home™, offering three tiers of protection: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
  • The first FORTIFIED designation in Alabama is awarded to a concrete home in Fairhope built with Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County, funded by Safeco Insurance under the FORTIFIED for Safer Living™ standard.
  • IBHS conducts its first wind test at the Research Center.

2011

  • Alabama's first FORTIFIED Home™ designation under the new IBHS standard is awarded to a Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County home, funded by Travelers Insurance.
  • The Strengthen Alabama Homes Act (SB 389) becomes law, creating the foundation for what will become a national model program.
  • The first Habitat for Humanity homes in Alabama are constructed to FORTIFIED standards.
  • SHA collaborates with local code officials to develop the Coastal Construction Code Supplement, aligning International Codes with FORTIFIED standards.

2012

  • Bay Minette and Orange Beach become the first Coastal Alabama jurisdictions to adopt the Coastal Construction Code Supplement, with Orange Beach also adopting the 2012 IRC.

2013

  • All Habitat for Humanity affiliates along the Alabama and Mississippi Gulf Coast begin building to FORTIFIED Home standards, proving resilience can be achieved affordably at scale.

2014

  • Julie Shiyou-Woodard becomes SHA Executive Director.
  • The Alabama Department of Insurance increases mandatory minimum discounts for FORTIFIED construction.

2015

  • Alabama HB 92 funds the Strengthen Alabama Homes program.
  • Alabama passes SB 254, enacting statewide FORTIFIED insurance discounts, effective 2016 for commercial and 2018 for residential properties.
  • Volume builders, including Truland Homes and DR Horton, begin incorporating FORTIFIED standards in Alabama, demonstrating market adoption beyond custom construction.
  • Alabama surpasses 1,000 FORTIFIED-designated homes in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.

2016

  • The Strengthen Alabama Homes program begins accepting applications, offering grants of up to $7,500 for FORTIFIED Roof retrofits in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.
  • SHA launches the DontGoof.org campaign, generating over two million media impressions and driving a significant increase in FORTIFIED Bronze designations.
  • A University of Alabama study finds FORTIFIED homes sell for 6-7% more than comparable non-FORTIFIED homes and help owners retain insurance coverage.
  • IBHS releases the FORTIFIED High Wind and Hail standard at the National Tornado Summit in Tulsa, OK.

2017

  • Alabama surpasses 3,000 FORTIFIED designations. The Strengthen Alabama Homes program increases its grant award to $10,000.
  • Oklahoma passes HB 1720, enabling mitigation and FORTIFIED insurance discounts.
  • Hurricane Harvey makes landfall as a Category 4 near Rockport, TX.
  • SHA meets with Harvey-affected cities, including Rockport, Corpus Christi, and Port Aransas, to promote resilient construction.
  • Key Allegro, a community of 800+ units in Rockport, TX, adopts the Coastal Code Supplement into their neighborhood covenant.
  • SHA works with Houston and the Texas GLO to add FORTIFIED to post-Harvey action plans.

2018

  • FORTIFIED Home and commercial discounts go statewide in Alabama, fulfilling the mandate established by SB 254 in 2015.
  • Alabama surpasses 9,000 FORTIFIED designations by year-end.
  • SHA receives the Travelers Excellence in Community Resilience Award.

2019

  • Alabama's Roofer Licensure Bill (SB 147) takes effect, raising roofing quality standards statewide.
  • Alabama surpasses 10,000 FORTIFIED homes.
  • HB 283 passes, requiring insurers to offer a FORTIFIED roof endorsement effective January 2020.
  • Governor Kay Ivey establishes Resilience Week in Alabama.
  • SHA is awarded an EPA Gulf of Mexico Program grant to develop and pilot a Community Resilience Housing Guide.

2020

  • Alabama's FORTIFIED Roof Insurance Endorsement (HB 283) takes effect.
  • Hurricane Laura makes landfall as a Category 4 in Cameron, Louisiana.
  • Hurricane Sally makes landfall as a Category 2 in Gulf Shores, AL. IBHS reports that roughly 95% of the 17,000 FORTIFIED homes in Baldwin County that endured Sally had zero insurance claims.
  • SHA becomes a Continuing Education provider for insurance agents, home builders, and real estate agents in multiple states, and gains ICC approval in all states.
  • SHA participates in two HUD task forces, Water and Wind, to help develop national Resiliency Guidelines.

2021

  • Alabama surpasses 15,000 FORTIFIED designations in a single year.
  • Hurricane Ida makes landfall as a Category 4 in Southeast Louisiana.
  • IBHS releases FORTIFIED Multifamily™ as a branch of FORTIFIED Commercial™.
  • SHA begins offering technical assistance to Louisiana Habitat for Humanity affiliates pursuing FORTIFIED designations.

2022

  • SHA President and CEO Julie Shiyou-Woodard testifies with Commissioner Jim Donelon before the Louisiana House Insurance Committee in support of HB 612.
  • Louisiana HB 612, the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, passes and is signed into law.
  • SHA provides technical assistance to the Iowa Economic Development Authority as they include FORTIFIED construction standards in their HUD-approved CDBG-DR Action Plan for 2020 derecho recovery, making Iowa the first state to do so.
  • SHA supports Louisiana's requirement that all new buildings funded by CDBG-DR use the FORTIFIED Gold standard.
  • SHA supports the Louisiana Housing Corporation's requirement of FORTIFIED Gold under its 149M Prime 2 funding cycle.
  • SHA supports the City of Mobile's adoption of the Coastal Construction Code Supplement and the 2021 IBC and IRC.

2023

  • SHA joins After the Fire for the Colorado caravan, supporting communities rebuilding after the Marshall Fire and providing guidance on resilient construction and insurance recovery.
  • Julie Shiyou-Woodard presents at the Wildfire Leadership Summit, hosted by After the Fire, on climate housing solutions and the role of beyond-code construction standards in wildfire recovery.
  • The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program opens applications, providing grants of up to $10,000 to help homeowners re-roof to the FORTIFIED standard. SHA played a central role in the program's development and launch.
  • SHA and the Strengthen Alabama Homes program receive IBHS's inaugural Resiliency Champion Awards, recognizing organizations responsible for thousands of FORTIFIED designations over five or more years.
  • FORTIFIED hits 50,000 total designations nationally, celebrated on Dauphin Island, AL, with regional and state officials.
  • Louisiana passes three new laws strengthening FORTIFIED incentives, including required actuarially justified insurance discounts and a FORTIFIED roof endorsement.
  • SHA supports wildfire recovery efforts in Colorado, including the Marshall Fire recovery, by providing rebuilding and insurance guidance.

2024

  • SHA receives a HUD Community Compass Technical Assistance award, funded at $350,000, to provide technical assistance to developers on FORTIFIED construction and mitigation under HUD's Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP).
  • Alabama celebrates 50,000 FORTIFIED-designated homes on September 16, the anniversary of both Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Sally.
  • SHA conducts post-Hurricane Helene outreach meetings across impacted communities to inform homeowners, nonprofits, and organizations rebuilding after the storm about the benefits of FORTIFIED construction.
  • Georgia passes legislation requiring insurers to offer FORTIFIED premium discounts.
  • FLASH and the NAIC Center for Insurance Policy and Research publish the Resilience Policy Resource Guide and Retrofitting Program Playbook for State Insurance Regulators. SHA is named as a key Community of Practice partner in the guide, and Alabama's Strengthen Alabama Homes program serves as its primary retrofit program case study - a national model for how publicly funded grants can catalyze private-sector market adoption of resilient construction standards.
  • Louisiana's Fortify Homes Program scales up through additional legislative investment and new provisions that improve program accessibility.
  • FORTIFIED surpasses 70,000 designations nationally across 31 states.

2025

  • SHA's HUD Community Compass award was withdrawn in early 2025 as part of broader federal funding changes. SHA continues advancing this work through the restructured GRRP program, which now centers on natural disaster risk mitigation - directly aligned with SHA's core purpose.
  • New Mexico passes the Wildfire Prepared Act, with SHA supporting the effort as part of its expanding national wildfire resilience work. SHA also develops continuing education on wildfire-resistant construction for insurance agents and builders, and documents real-world insurance savings for Wildfire Prepared homeowners.
  • The FORTIFIED grant program ecosystem expanded dramatically in 2025. Arkansas establishes a new statewide grant program. North Carolina's NCIUA launches two separate $20 million programs totaling $40 million in coastal grants. Oklahoma completes its 100th FORTIFIED home through its pilot program and announces a statewide launch. Louisiana passes four new FORTIFIED-related laws, including a $10,000 tax credit, a permanent $5 million annual funding source, and a doubled retrofitting deduction. Maine Governor Mills signs legislation creating the HoME Resiliency Program, providing $15 million in grants up to $15,000, explicitly modeled on Alabama's Strengthen Alabama Homes program. Alabama itself expands Strengthen Alabama Homes to Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, and Escambia counties for the first time since the program launched in 2015.
  • The Alabama Department of Insurance releases the most rigorous real-world validation of FORTIFIED construction ever conducted. The peer-reviewed study, led by the University of Alabama's Center for Risk and Insurance Research and analyzing more than 40,000 insured properties in coastal Alabama, finds that FORTIFIED Roof homes suffered 73% fewer insurance claims and 72% lower total losses during Hurricane Sally than conventionally built homes - and FORTIFIED Gold performed even better. For the first time, the insurance industry has large-scale empirical proof that FORTIFIED works in an actual hurricane, not just a lab. The findings have national implications for how insurers price risk, how states design mitigation programs, and how the case for resilient construction is made to homeowners, legislators, and the market.
  • For the first time, more than 20,000 FORTIFIED designations are issued in a single year.
  • Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, SHA publishes a retrospective on how Gulf Coast communities transformed disaster-resistant construction through the FORTIFIED program.

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