Post by account_disabled on Feb 28, 2024 6:51:16 GMT
The tornadoes and wildfires that devastated communities — from Kentucky to Colorado — in the final weeks of 2021 left thousands of people displaced or homeless. For many of them, it will be months or years before their homes are rebuilt.
According to The Conversation , that's especially hard Changsha Mobile Number List on low-income residents. The losses of hundreds of homes in cities across the Midwest and in Boulder County show both sides of that impact and illustrate why livable areas must be planned to protect their most vulnerable residents as cities recover. By doing so, they will also take care of their economies.
Why is there more risk for affordable housing?
Low- and middle-income families tend to occupy the riskiest regions for a few key reasons. First, land values are lower in at-risk or less desirable areas, such as those that flood, near toxic facilities, or in outlying locations that do not enforce designed codes.
Second, as populations grow, older homes become more affordable through a process called “leakage,” in which wealthier households move into newer homes, leaving run-down ones available for the poor. lower income.
risk for affordable housing disaster
Older buildings were often built with less strict building regulations and may be less well maintained, making them more physically vulnerable.
Additionally, long-standing patterns of historical segregation, ongoing discrimination in housing, and lending can exacerbate these problems by limiting the ability of Black and Hispanic families to access better neighborhoods.
Research has consistently shown that disadvantaged households are not only more likely to be damaged in a natural disaster, but take much longer—two to three times longer—to recover.
Poverty and other characteristics, such as being headed by a single mother, being a racial or ethnic minority, having a low level of education, being disabled, or renting rather than owning one's home, define what researchers call "social vulnerability." ».
The location and quality of housing, combined with the vulnerability of residents, mean that those most affected by disasters are often the least able to recover from them.
The slowness of recovery affects the entire community
Communities must understand that the slow recovery of vulnerable households can hinder the overall recovery. Researchers have found that housing restitution is strongly linked to business improvement.
Workers need a place to return to work, and companies need workers to resume operations. Rockport, Texas, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall in 2017, offers a cautionary tale.
risk for affordable housing home
A year after the cyclone, hotels and restaurants—even those that were part of national chains—had difficulty reopening during the critical tourist season due to the loss of affordable roofs for employees, as many of them had moved to San Antonio. , two and a half hours away.
Many houses cannot be replaced so there is a risk for affordable housing
Housing restoration is usually left to supply. For homeowner households with good insurance it works reasonably well. But for the less fortunate, including renters, it can be difficult to return to their homes or even their original locations.
In depressed markets with low-value housing, like many of those affected by the Kentucky and Midwest tornadoes, subsidies are not enough to rebuild. The value of buildings in these areas can be below $100,000; currently it is almost impossible to build a house for that price.
For their part, warm markets, such as Boulder County, Colorado, face a different challenge. Redevelopment allows developers and speculators to take advantage of redevelopment opportunities. Research suggests that affordable housing will almost always be replaced by more expensive housing aimed at a wealthier demographic.
And for low-income residents who rent and lose their homes in disasters, there is little chance they will be able to return to their original development. Little is known about where they end up.
Natural disasters, very high risk for affordable housing
Safety nets exist, but they are inadequate. For example, short-term assistance from FEMA's Individual Assistance Program helps find temporary housing and make repairs to eligible homes.
Aid can also come from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grants, but these funds take months and even years to arrive, and spending plans put forward by states often divert funds and They have almost no supervision.
What can be done?
What can be done then to ensure that vulnerable residents can rebuild and return? Some communities have tried new ideas. La Grange, Texas, which flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is experimenting with community land trusts. These involve cooperative ownership of land along with individual ownership of units.
Residents must occupy the unit for a set period of time and only earn a small percentage of the increases in land value, with the rest going to the co-op. This approach allows residents to pool resources for land purchases and maintains affordability over time.
According to The Conversation , that's especially hard Changsha Mobile Number List on low-income residents. The losses of hundreds of homes in cities across the Midwest and in Boulder County show both sides of that impact and illustrate why livable areas must be planned to protect their most vulnerable residents as cities recover. By doing so, they will also take care of their economies.
Why is there more risk for affordable housing?
Low- and middle-income families tend to occupy the riskiest regions for a few key reasons. First, land values are lower in at-risk or less desirable areas, such as those that flood, near toxic facilities, or in outlying locations that do not enforce designed codes.
Second, as populations grow, older homes become more affordable through a process called “leakage,” in which wealthier households move into newer homes, leaving run-down ones available for the poor. lower income.
risk for affordable housing disaster
Older buildings were often built with less strict building regulations and may be less well maintained, making them more physically vulnerable.
Additionally, long-standing patterns of historical segregation, ongoing discrimination in housing, and lending can exacerbate these problems by limiting the ability of Black and Hispanic families to access better neighborhoods.
Research has consistently shown that disadvantaged households are not only more likely to be damaged in a natural disaster, but take much longer—two to three times longer—to recover.
Poverty and other characteristics, such as being headed by a single mother, being a racial or ethnic minority, having a low level of education, being disabled, or renting rather than owning one's home, define what researchers call "social vulnerability." ».
The location and quality of housing, combined with the vulnerability of residents, mean that those most affected by disasters are often the least able to recover from them.
The slowness of recovery affects the entire community
Communities must understand that the slow recovery of vulnerable households can hinder the overall recovery. Researchers have found that housing restitution is strongly linked to business improvement.
Workers need a place to return to work, and companies need workers to resume operations. Rockport, Texas, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall in 2017, offers a cautionary tale.
risk for affordable housing home
A year after the cyclone, hotels and restaurants—even those that were part of national chains—had difficulty reopening during the critical tourist season due to the loss of affordable roofs for employees, as many of them had moved to San Antonio. , two and a half hours away.
Many houses cannot be replaced so there is a risk for affordable housing
Housing restoration is usually left to supply. For homeowner households with good insurance it works reasonably well. But for the less fortunate, including renters, it can be difficult to return to their homes or even their original locations.
In depressed markets with low-value housing, like many of those affected by the Kentucky and Midwest tornadoes, subsidies are not enough to rebuild. The value of buildings in these areas can be below $100,000; currently it is almost impossible to build a house for that price.
For their part, warm markets, such as Boulder County, Colorado, face a different challenge. Redevelopment allows developers and speculators to take advantage of redevelopment opportunities. Research suggests that affordable housing will almost always be replaced by more expensive housing aimed at a wealthier demographic.
And for low-income residents who rent and lose their homes in disasters, there is little chance they will be able to return to their original development. Little is known about where they end up.
Natural disasters, very high risk for affordable housing
Safety nets exist, but they are inadequate. For example, short-term assistance from FEMA's Individual Assistance Program helps find temporary housing and make repairs to eligible homes.
Aid can also come from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grants, but these funds take months and even years to arrive, and spending plans put forward by states often divert funds and They have almost no supervision.
What can be done?
What can be done then to ensure that vulnerable residents can rebuild and return? Some communities have tried new ideas. La Grange, Texas, which flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is experimenting with community land trusts. These involve cooperative ownership of land along with individual ownership of units.
Residents must occupy the unit for a set period of time and only earn a small percentage of the increases in land value, with the rest going to the co-op. This approach allows residents to pool resources for land purchases and maintains affordability over time.