St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation Hosts Deputy Insurance Commissioner John Ford for Candid Conversation on Legislative Priorities
From left to right: Ryan Randall, St. Bernard Parish Councilmember, District D; Cindi Meyer, St. Bernard Parish Councilmember, District C; John Ford, Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs, Louisiana Department of Insurance; Mike Fernandez, Founder, Arpent Realty; Ron Henderson, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Consumer Advocacy & Diversity, Louisiana Department of Insurance
ST. BERNARD PARISH, LA – With the legislative session commencing on April 14, the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation and the St. Bernard Parish Real Estate Investors group took the opportunity to host Louisiana Deputy Insurance Commissioner John Ford for a fruitful discussion with residents and business owners to ask questions and learn more about the Department’s priorities and proposed legislation.
“At SBEDF, we do everything we can to protect your investments in St. Bernard,” said Chief Executive Officer Meaghan McCormack, “and that includes connecting business owners, residents and investors to policymakers and advocating on their behalf.”
Maintaining St. Bernard’s affordable cost of living is a priority for SBEDF and key to encouraging investments and supporting communities. Currently, 70.1% of Parish residents own homes and pay approximately 63% less than the national average for a home.
Deputy Commissioner Ford recognized the value of homeownership in St. Bernard and outlined strategic reforms his department is pursuing this legislative session, saying “The benefits of this reform will be statewide. I don’t think there’s any part of Louisiana that won’t see improvement.”
Additional topics discussed include:
Raising the tax deduction for installing a self-funded Fortified Roof from $5,000 to $10,000
Using part of the coastal zone sales tax revenue to fund increases in the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program
Providing policyholders with rate transparency reports before they buy
The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) regulates the state’s insurance market and is responsible for protecting policyholders, supporting a strong business environment, and strengthening the stability of the insurance industry. The department oversees both personal and commercial insurance markets for many types of insurance coverage, including home, auto, health, life, flood, title, and workers’ compensation insurance.
SBEDF’s insurance roundtable comes as Meraux and Arabi are both named among the Top 25 Fastest Growing Housing Market Towns in Louisiana, according to Zillow data released in April. Arabi, ranking 4th in the state, increased property values by an average of 48% from 2016 to 2025. In the 14th spot on that list, Meraux generated $65,399 in wealth for homeowners over the same 9-year span.
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About the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation
The St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF) is the official economic development organization and public-private partnership of St. Bernard Parish formed to create and retain jobs, build prosperity, and improve quality of life. To learn more about SBEDF and how the organization works to foster business attraction, retention and expansion, neighborhood revitalization, small business assistance, and talent and workforce development in St. Bernard Parish, visit sbedf.org.
About the St. Bernard Parish Real Estate Investors Group
The St. Bernard Parish Real Estate Investors Group is the Parish’s only business forum dedicated to individuals involved or interested in real estate. The group welcomes investors, attorneys, contractors, realtors, property managers and others to its regular meetings hosted monthly with SBEDF. For more information or to join, visit the St. Bernard Real Estate Group Facebook page.
About the Louisiana Department of Insurance
The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) works to improve competition in the state’s insurance market while assisting individuals and businesses with the information and resources they need to be informed consumers of insurance. As a regulator, the LDI enforces the laws that provide a fair and stable marketplace and makes certain that insurers comply with the laws in place to protect policyholders. You can contact the LDI by downloading our LDIConnect mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, at 800-259-5300 or www.ldi.la.gov.