Exploring Implementation of Disaster Risk Management Strategies by U.S. Public Housing Authorities: A National Survey

Amber Khan, University Of Washington
Rebecca Walter, Runstad Department of Real Estate, University of Washington
Sara Hamideh, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University
Andrew Aurand, National Low Income Housing Coalition
Jamie Vickery, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Nicole Errett, School of Public Health, University of Washington

Much of the world, including the United States, is experiencing an affordable housing crisis. Simultaneously, disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity partly due to climate change. Disasters exacerbate adverse impacts on extremely low-income renters living in federally-subsidized housing units managed by U.S. Public Housing Authorities (PHAs). To date, there is an overall lack of knowledge around what disaster risk management (DRM) strategies are being implemented by PHAs, as well as factors that influence PHA DRM implementation. A national survey was administered to PHAs to assess their implementation of DRM strategies. Survey results, along with secondary data, were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Fisher’s exact test of independence was used to calculate the association between each binary DRM strategy variable (“Yes” versus “No”) and each PHA characteristic. Findings suggest that PHA Moving To Work (MTW) (i.e., a flexible funding model) status, PHA size, urban classification, state-level political affiliation, and perceived hazard risk influence PHA DRM implementation. These implications are relevant to other countries are experiencing a lack of affordable housing for low-income families.

Keywords: Families, Unions and Households, Population, Environment, and Climate Change, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Internal Migration and Urbanization

See extended abstract.