Housing damage from extreme weather events worsens the housing affordability crisis, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress. For example, six months following Hurricane Michael, which struck the Florida Panhandle a year ago, many residents were still living in substandard housing.
They were forced to vie for a shrunken pool of rental units with workers who had come to town to assist in the storm recovery. Government response following such storms typically does not improve the overall situation, the report says.
“Solutions that offer only temporary relief in the wake of disasters and/or are directed to wealthier households and homeowners will perpetuate the loss of affordable housing stock that, when damaged, is often demolished rather than rebuilt,” the report says. “Moreover, they will increase displacement, housing poverty, and homelessness."
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