Some believe that business capital should never be used for broader purposes. From its very beginnings, however, the insurance industry has realized returns from investing in safety, health and communities where policyholders live and work.Unfortunately, today policyholders in effect subsidize property insurance for substandard communities. To the extent that such neighborhoods can be improved and made more habitable, the insurance subsidy will be reduced. An improved community is a better risk and a better business opportunity.
Obviously, the many challenges facing our communities are greater than any single organization's ability to surmount them. That is why companies, trade associations, insurance agents and others have worked separately and in tandem over the years to utilize our resources, different experiences and points of view to develop new strategies and programs.
This diverse activity makes the whole picture hard to see. The purpose of this volume is to both quantify and demonstrate the range of the insurance industry's work. If it also serves as some inspiration to insurance companies, trade associations and agents not already participating in community outreach programs and as a model for other industry's facing similar challenges and concerns, that would be most welcome.