American Red Cross’ Post

Glad to see a piece addressing the crucial, but often overlooked connections between #climatechange and #homlessness. Growing up on Turtle Island, having worked in shelters and as a housing working with people who are homeless, now deep in the international #climatemobility space, I have always found it baffling that we don’t use the language of #internallydisplacedpersons or #IDPs in North America, much like the rest of the world. Let us be critical of these discourses and framings and acknowledge that homelessness often is #displacement, especially when related to the impacts of #climatechange, #environmentaldegradation and #disasters.

The intersection of climate change impacts and homelessness is a critical issue that demands our attention. The newly launched Climate Change and Homelessness Research Report explores this complex relationship in depth. Climate change, much like other natural disasters, disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, with the homeless or near-homeless being among the most at risk. This report delves into the lived experiences of these individuals and examines the multifaceted effects of climate change on this already vulnerable population.

This article looks the impact of climate change on the unhoused population, highlighting the increase in homelessness due to extreme weather events and the inadequacy of current responses to address this. From the article: ⚠️ Climate change exacerbates extreme weather conditions, significantly affecting people experiencing homelessness (PEH) who cannot easily find shelter from harsh conditions. 🌀 Reports from UNICEF and Community Solutions indicate that climate disasters have already displaced millions, including a significant number of children, and are causing a continuous rise in homelessness. 🌡️ Unhoused individuals face disproportionate risks, such as higher rates of heat-related hospitalizations in California and increased exposure to climate-driven natural disasters. Improving disaster preparedness and urban infrastructure, particularly around heat and housing resilience, can mitigate some of the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations. There is a need for more affordable housing to prevent displacement and a broader adoption of health and safety measures tailored to the needs of the unhoused during extreme weather events.

Our society's problems seem insurmountable, it can be really overwhelming. But when we clearly identify the problems, come up with solutions, create policies and interventions to address those problems, and course correct when we're missing the mark - change is possible. Never give up. #climatejustice #homelessness #climateresilience "What can we do?  Develop effective policies and interventions recognizing a triple threat crisis — climate, housing shortages, and homelessness.  Build upon the initial, promising efforts to end homelessness — like Built for Zero. Not having people subsist in street environments obviates the need for emergency responses to their exposure to weather extremes.  Ensure our public leaders invest in an abundance of all types of housing. Access to affordable and supportive housing models are proven means of helping people.  Build climate resilience and response plans that incorporate homeless populations in collaboration with people with lived experience."

In an article by National Alliance to End Homelessness it states, "Ending homelessness is deeply connected to climate justice. When natural disasters strike, people with the fewest resources are most likely to be impacted and left without a place to live for the foreseeable future." Read more about how Climate Change can impact homelessness: https://bit.ly/3vDarCn

Climate change and the legal punishment of homelessness together create intersecting hazards. In this GELR blog post, Kayla Minton Kaufman discusses how homelessness is both a community issue and an environmental issue. Read the full blog post here: https://lnkd.in/e-54W82Q

🔥The Climate Crisis and the Affordable Housing Crisis are Inextricably Linked ...and the Maui wildfires are a tragic example of how vulnerable communities bear the brunt of the climate crisis. 📰Sharing this article by Juan Pablo Garnham and Arjuna Heim for Bloomberg CityLab, highlighting the connection between climate disasters, rising rents, and the urgent need for better public policies. 📉“Rents across the island have increased sharply, offering a cautionary tale for the rest of the US [and the world] about how climate change, a housing crisis, and the lack of adequate public policies can multiply the suffering of a community already in pain.” -- 💰Rising Rents: After the fires, rents skyrocketed as demand surged and supply dwindled—a pattern we’re likely to see more often as climate disasters become more frequent. 🏚️Inadequate Policies: The article stresses the urgent need for stronger policies that protect vulnerable communities from being priced out of their homes in the wake of disasters. 🌐A Global Concern: This isn’t just a Hawaii problem; it’s a national, and global crisis. As climate change intensifies, other communities across the world will face similar challenges if we don’t act now. -- What’s happening in Maui now: 🏘️ Some 2,000 housing units were lost in the fires. In response, FEMA offered rent payments averaging $6,000 per unit to displaced residents. However, this well-meaning aid has had unintended consequences—some landlords are evicting current tenants to lease units to fire survivors at higher rates. Despite emergency measures to limit rent increases and require eviction affidavits, loopholes persist, and enforcement remains weak. 👨👩👧👦For example, one family with two young children was evicted so the landlord’s son could move in, while renting out his own home for $8,000 a month under FEMA’s program. The evicted family has since struggled to find affordable, permanent housing. 💬 “There’s a lot of help for the Lahaina fire victims that lost their homes…[but] there is not a lot of help for those that didn’t lose their homes in the fire, though they’re facing the same shocking rent, and they’re facing eviction.” - Carolina Davis, an interpreter assisting Spanish-speaking Maui residents -- 🌐The climate and housing crises are deeply linked. Addressing one without the other leaves communities vulnerable.  🤔Moving forward, we must build resilience in both environmental and social terms to protect our most vulnerable from the combined impacts of climate change and housing instability.  Agree? 👉🏾 Highly recommend reading the full article to anyone concerned about the intersection of climate, housing, and public policy. https://lnkd.in/edW5XUFh #ClimateChange #AffordableHousing #Sustainability #UrbanPlanning #Archtivism Eviction Lab Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice

🔥 In times of crisis, spontaneous volunteering plays a crucial role—it fosters community connectedness and boosts self-esteem. It also empowers individuals, transforming them from passive victims into active contributors to community recovery. Volunteers, both formal and informal, are the backbone of emergency and disaster response. However, disasters pose unique challenges in Indigenous communities. External emergency practices can deepen marginalization and trauma, worsening disaster impacts. State-sponsored programs often neglect Indigenous rights and knowledge, perpetuating racialized disadvantages, which shows the need for cultural alignment. To build true resilience and deliver effective measures during emergencies, we must embrace local perspectives on risk, hazard knowledge, and coping strategies.    All the information and quotations were taken from the research publication 'The Role of Disaster Volunteering in Indigenous Communities' which underscores the importance of respecting Indigenous resilience in emergency planning by Yumagulova, L., Phibbs, S., Kenney, C. M., Yellow Old Woman-Munro, D., Christianson, A. C., McGee, T. K., & Whitehair, R. (2019). For a deeper exploration, refer to the publication via https://lnkd.in/gcSZVbh8 Let's rethink emergency management with cultural sensitivity and local collaboration at its core. #CommunityResilience #IndigenousKnowledge #EmergencyResponse #FNWEP #WildfireManagement #FNWEPresearch #ResearchInsights

GOOD NEWS: 29 NFPs working in remote, rural and regional Australia will share in more than $730,000 in grants awarded through the Small Network Grants program. This is the first round of recipients for the program that supports projects that will strengthen the capacity and capability of their communities to prepare for, and be resilient to, the impacts of future droughts. We saw a diverse range of projects including a mental health forum, a series of community connection events and small-scale community infrastructure upgrades. This includes the District Council of Orroroo Carrieton in SA, which will use their Small Network Grant for upgrades to the Community Church Hall so that it can be used as a family daycare, as pictured below. This program is supported by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund through the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. Read the full list of recipients below: https://lnkd.in/gRTGp_mf #SNG #FutureDroughtFund #DroughtResilience #DroughtRecovery #HRCPD #RuralAus

Houses of Worship play a vital role in Community Resilience! Community Resilience is the ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from adverse situations such as natural disasters, economic challenges, health crises, social disruptions, or violent incidents. It involves social cohesion, local knowledge, resource availability, and proactive planning, allowing communities to effectively manage and mitigate the impacts of crises and bounce back stronger. - Trusted Hubs of Support - Established Networks and Resources - Emotional and Psychological Support - Volunteers and Community Engagement - Cultural Competence and Inclusivity - Moral and Ethical Leadership - Long-Term Commitment Houses of worship are uniquely positioned to enhance community resilience due to their trusted status, extensive networks, capacity for emotional support, and dedicated volunteer base. By leveraging their strengths, they can play a pivotal role in helping communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises. Their involvement not only addresses immediate needs but also fosters a sense of unity and resilience that strengthens the community's ability to face future challenges. But, are they prepared and ready to support their community in times of crisis? Let's not forget about our churches, synagogues, mosques, and community centers. Whether it might be a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a violent incident, we need to ensure our communities have greater awareness, education, training, and preparedness for future incidents so that we reduce the impacts from a major crisis. CRLT and Tod Langley CEO are proud community members of the Active Shooter Prevention Project @ASPP. There is no greater purpose than to prevent violence, save innocent lives, and make our communities stronger. #NEVERHERE #CRLTInc #simulation #tabletop #AWS #emergencymanagement #houseofworship