Disaster Relief

Los Angeles wildfire victims stand in street with bags of supplies in January 2025.

AirBnb Commits Empty Los Angeles Listings for Emergency Housing Within 24 Hours of Future Disasters

The company’s nonprofit arm formalized an agreement to offer free housing to residents after disasters.

January 16, 2026 - Pasadena NOw

A member of the National Guard stands in front of a FEMA truck on January 19, 2021 in Washington D.C.

Judge Says FEMA Can’t Withhold Grant Funds Under ‘Arbitrary and Capricious’ Conditions

The decision favors a coalition of 12 states that sued the Trump administration over new conditions for disaster recovery and emergency relief funds.

January 7, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Young child riding scooter on gravel path in park.

Parks as Community Lifelines: Supporting Residents During Times of Crisis

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation demonstrates how parks serve as vital community infrastructure by adapting to crises, offering public health services, disaster relief, and essential support for residents in need.

January 30, 2025 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Aerial view of wildfire damage in Lahaina, Maui.

$2.1 Billion Secured for Maui Wildfire Recovery and Resilience

Congress has approved federal funding to support Maui’s wildfire recovery, including housing, economic development, and infrastructure improvements while fostering long-term community resilience and preparedness.

December 31, 2024 - Hawaii Public Radio

Aerial view of flooded small homes in Florida after hurricane.

Research Shows White Communities Gain Affluence After Climate Disasters

People of color and lower-income residents tend to lose wealth despite the stated goals of federal assistance programs to restore communities impacted by disasters.

November 6, 2024 - Inside Climate News

"FEMA - STATE disaster recovery center" banner on brick building.

Proposed Bill Would Expand Federal Disaster Relief

The legislation acknowledges the impact of cumulative damage and expands access to funds for communities adjacent to storm-hit states.

October 10, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Heavily damaged white small SUV parked on street with heavy tornado damage and leveled houses in Mayfield, Kentucky.

The Growing Role of Federal Government in Disaster Relief

As flooding, fires, and other disasters become more destructive, an effective response requires more resources than local governments can offer.

June 4, 2024 - Governing

HUD

Opinion: The Housing Crisis Isn't Going Away With the Pandemic

As the housing crisis rages on, the housing assistance infrastructure put in place during the pandemic can provide a model for long-term aid programs.

November 30, 2021 - Governing

Florida National Guard

Florida Panhandle Struggling to Recover from Hurricane Michael

Residents of Panama City and other Florida communities are calling for help, but it's unclear when help will arrive. The restoration of running water and electricity is the primary concern.

October 15, 2018 - BuzzFeed News

Resilient Home

Post-Hurricane Affordable Housing in the Florida Keys

A land trust is providing much-needed affordable housing relief after last year’s Hurricane Irma.

September 9, 2018 - Next City

Flooding

Houston Has a $1.15 Billion Harvey Recovery Plan

Houston is taking steps to finalize and approve a plan to spend $1.15 billion in federal disaster relief funding after Hurricane Harvey.

June 9, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Harvey Floods Houston

HUD Cuts Red Tape to Support Hurricane Recovery

Administrative changes announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will impact programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships programs.

October 28, 2017 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Lessons learned in an earthquake's aftermath

The response to Ecuador's 7.8-magnitude earthquake went beyond just physically rebuilding the hardest hit cities

June 13, 2016 - Doggerel

Haitians Lay Foundation for Hope 5 Years After Earthquake

Despite what some see as slow progress five years after an earthquake rocked Haiti, architect and sustainability consultant Dave Hampton writes about how he and others see hope for the future.

January 21, 2015 - UrbDeZine

Desperation Grows in the Philippines As Aid is Slow to Arrive

As disaster relief efforts began to grow in the Philippine city of Tacloban and surrounding areas in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, logistical difficulties are hampering aid efforts. 90 percent of the city is thought to have been destroyed.

November 13, 2013 - BBC News

America's Ballooning Disaster Debt

A new report out this week quantifies the federal government's escalating disaster relief spending, a sum that hadn't previously been tabulated and came as a surprise to many.

April 30, 2013 - The Washington Post

What the Sandy Recovery Bill Gets Wrong

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a two-part bill to fund the recovery from Hurricane Sandy. In an essay written prior to the vote, Rob Young criticizes the rush to approve rebuilding the entire coast as it was before the storm.

January 17, 2013 - Bloomberg

The Promise and Perils of Modern Disaster Communications

During and after Sandy, transportation workers had the responsibility of informing riders of changing conditions and schedules. Ray Rivera compares the different communication approaches of New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Rail Road.

December 19, 2012 - The New York Times

The Cost of Exclusivity in Gated Communities

Gated communities such as Sea Gate in Brooklyn and Breezy Point in Queens "have long held the rest of the city at arm’s length." Following Hurricane Sandy, residents are now seeking financial assistance from the city to rebuild their homes.

November 29, 2012 - The New York Times

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

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