In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the news media were fixated on the plight of middle-class homeowners in places like the Rockaways in Queens. But two new reports show that low-income renters were the more prevalent victims of the storm.
Matt Chaban discusses the findings of two new studies released this week - one by the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at NYU [PDF], the other by affordable housing developers Enterprise Community Partners [PDF] - that show "Sandy is more likely to have struck a low-income family that rents an apartment than a more well-off one that owns a home."
According to Chaban, the studies "found that of the 150,000 families who have applied for FEMA housing aid, 56% were renters, rather than homeowners. What's more it found that 61% of applicants make less than $60,000 a year, with half that group making less than $15,000 a year."
"'With almost 50% of households making $30,000 a year or less, this is a big deal,' said Shola Olatoye, vice president and New York market leader at Enterprise. 'These are low-income families already in need, and Sandy has made things so much worse.'"
"The authors of the studies hope that their data will help drive the policy debates to come," adds Chaban. "With tens of billions of dollars in federal aid at stake, they believe the money must be spent carefully, and may not even be enough to cover the recovery costs. After all, renters are not typically the ones with the insurance policies, so it can be hard to force a landlord to make repairs."
FULL STORY: Sandy hit the poor hardest in New York
Discrimination Limits Sandy Recovery Efforts
Many New Jersey residents are waiting for state aid to help them rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. But not everyone is receiving a fair share of recovery funds. How will Governor Chris Christie respond?
New Yorkers Take Pride in Resilience, Preserve Scars from Sandy
As New York and New Jersey continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy, some residents choose to preserve the watermarks left on their homes and businesses as a way to commemorate their survival.
The Era of “When, Not If,” Compels a New Approach to Waterfront Development
On the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, ULI offers guidance on post-disaster rebuilding and building in anticipation of future disasters in a way that helps preserve the environment, boost economic prosperity, and foster a high quality of life.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
