The Challenge
A home represents one of the most significant investments made by someone. That home needs to withstand the increasingly difficult weather. This rings particularly true for those homes being built as part of the efforts to reduce homelessness in this country.
The Climate Change Institute and Task Force for Housing and Climate reports raise some good points. Coastal communities, however, may face a broader range of challenges.
When considering where to expand communities, we should consider challenges like the following:
- Topography in terms of available space but also the features of terrain immediately around the space.
- Height above sea level, not just for sea level rise but also storm surge, wave action, and ice moving ashore.
- Drainage both under normal conditions but also as part of the effects of major rainfalls (like atmospheric rivers).
- Vegetation and potential fuel for fires.
- Erosion both under normal conditions and major weather events.
- Wind, in terms of direct wind and channelled winds, may become more intense.
Modifying the environment also requires some prudence—most of us along the coast impact not just the land but also the water adjacent to it. This means taking the time to understand how a change will affect other parts of the property and those around it. For example, clearing vegetation may work well for fires but may impact erosion. That erosion may affect waters immediately next to the land. I am not saying “do nothing.” I am saying “we should do things thoughtfully.”
We should also consider infrastructure-related challenges. These include the following:
- Transportation routes to and from the community, including primary and alternate routes.
- Energy services (primary and secondary) into the community.
- Telecommunications.
The Response
Selecting the right location to build is just the start of the process. The Resources page includes links to some of these climate-related risk resources, including general risks, fire, and flooding. It also includes topographical and nautical charts for much of our coastline.
Our next consideration involves the property. Should it be left as is, modified, or wholly landscaped? The key here involves keeping things from the house (flooding, fire, etc.). Again, the Resources page has links to programs like FireSmart and others. The final element involves the structure itself and how it is designed, its building materials, and so on. This also includes ensuring that the right tools are on hand (generators, pumps, etc.) to deal with whatever challenges you face.
Affordable Housing – Why Different?
The level of care we take when looking at “affordable housing” should be no less than what we would look at for our homes. While the temptation should be to build fast to get people out of the cold (a valid point), reasonable consideration can still be given to good design.
Otherwise, we will continue to face catastrophic losses. 2024 saw insurable losses of around $8.4 billion, according to the IBC. Part of that is on the insurance industry when it looks at ratepayers and punishes them for taking steps to reduce potential impacts. For example, I installed storm shutters that would prevent windows from blowing out, a major cause of damage in severe weather. Having done that, however, my premiums increased (albeit modestly) because the insurance company focused on the cost of replacing the shutters and not the reduced risk. But I digress…
The people seeking affordable housing are not in a position to absorb significant losses time and time again. Consequently, we should be careful not to create conditions where they may face that exact challenge.