Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) – through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – are responsible for the oversight of federally assisted housing. However, climate change has contributed to increasing natural disaster events, often severely impacting renters receiving federal housing. This, combined with the ongoing housing crisis and consistent underfunding, has left PHAs struggling to keep up with numerous demands, especially in the realm of disaster planning.
New research from the University of Washington explores and documents the roles and responsibilities of PHAs in state-level disaster planning to better improve future disaster policies. Through their findings, the research team recommends that PHAs must be integrated into disaster risk management planning to protect their low-income renters from disasters before, during and after they strike.