Safe and secure housing is vital for healthy, thriving communities due to its influence on health, education, income, and overall well-being. However, policy choices, market trends, and human behaviors often overlook the need for resilient housing. As a result, the housing inventory in the United States is shrinking, aging, and increasingly vulnerable to climate-driven hazards like hurricanes and floods. This urgent situation calls for a fundamental shift in housing policy.

In this presentation, the director of the Structural Engineering Extreme Events Reconnaissance (StEER) Network will share insights from years of post-disaster observations, exploring the resiliency of homes to climate hazards. Attendees will learn about the policy, regulatory, and market forces shaping housing resilience and how society can shift focus from disaster response to proactive risk mitigation amid compounding threats.