Enterprise: Community Developments: Report on the Estimated Cost of Hurricane Storms in 2018, May Jobs Report

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• A report by CoreLogic, which examines risk from hurricane-driven storm surge for homes along the coastlines of 19 states, shows that more than 6.9 million homes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast are at risk of damage from hurricane storm surge in 2018. It points out that reconstruction of all these homes would cost more than $1.6 trillion, up 6.6 percent from 2017 due to higher construction, equipment and labor costs. (HousingWire, May 31) Earlier this year 100 Resilient Cities, an initiative pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, released a report, Safer and Stronger Cities: Strategies for Advocating for Federal Resiliency Policy. This report, which was prepared by Enterprise Community Partners in collaboration with Climate Resilience Consulting, Georgetown Climate Center and HR&A Advisors, offers a menu of federal policy recommendations that can help cities become more resilient in the face of changing conditions, focusing on infrastructure, housing, flood insurance, economic development, and public safety. These policy recommendations have been endorsed by 22 mayors from across the country. Read the report on the Enterprise website.
• Yesterday Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts signed a bill that authorizes $1.8 billion in housing bonds over the next five years. The measure will renew and expand funding for a variety of housing programs and initiatives, including the redevelopment of public housing, the construction of affordable housing, and the preservation of historic buildings. (The Boston Globe, May 31) As previously reported in Community Developments, the bill is expected to help create at least 17,000 new housing units over the next five years.
• Today HUD Secretary Ben Carson announced Protect our Kids! campaign, an agency-wide enforcement campaign that aims to get landlords and sellers of older homes to fulfill their responsibilities to disclose lead-based paint hazards in their properties, as well to work on ensuring that all federally assisted homes are lead-safe. HUD estimates that nearly 30 million homes in the U.S. have indoor environmental hazards such as lead-based paint, mold, pests, water leaks, and many others. Through its Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, HUD promotes local efforts to eliminate dangerous lead paint and other housing-related health hazards from lower- and moderate-income homes; stimulates private sector investment in lead hazard control; supports research on methods for assessing and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards; and educates the public about hazards in the home. (HUD, June 1)

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