Disasters Can Affect Affordable Housing for Years

The tornadoes and wildfires that devastated communities from Kentucky to Colorado in the final weeks of 2021 left thousands of people displaced or homeless. It was especially hard on low-income residents. This article studies the impact of disasters on affordable housing, resilience and recovery. Research has shown consistently that lower-income households are not only more likely to suffer damage in a natural disaster, but they are more likely to take much longer – two to three times longer – to recover. The location and quality of housing, combined with the vulnerability of residents, means that those most affected by disasters are often those least able to recover from them.