The FAIR Plan, California’s last-resort insurance program for homeowners needing fire coverage, is seeking approval for steep rate hikes averaging 35.8%, though some policyholders could actually see their premiums drop.

Under the proposal, sent to state regulators Sept. 29, insurance costs would increase for about four in five of the plan’s more than 550,000 homeowner policies across California. The large majority of rate hikes would range from 5% to 60%.

The remaining roughly 97,000 policyholders — including hundreds in Alameda County and parts of the South Bay and Peninsula — would see a rate cut, with most deductions no more than 50%.

If approved by the state insurance department, the changes could go into effect as soon as April 1, 2026.

The FAIR Plan is a state-created, privately

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