Dr. Shannon Van Zandt is a professor based at Texas A&M University where she focuses on the intersection of affordable housing with natural disasters.

The last few hurricane seasons have provided no shortage of research material.

"We are constantly in a state of disaster. And that means trying to help people understand what changes they can make between disasters so that they’re ready for the next one," Van Zandt said while at the 33rd Annual Steamboat Weather Summit last month.

Storms like Katrina, Maria, Harvey and now Ian are among the cases that have revealed the inability of some communities to bounce back after a storm.

"I'm very concerned about these households that are marginalized," said Van Zandt.

Especially concerning is how hurricanes affect homeowners and renters differently. Those who rent tend to not have control over any mitigation practices where they live.

Regarding renters, Van Zandt explained, "they certainly don’t have control over how their housing, particularly multi-family housing, is rebuilt. So, often with renters, we see permanent displacement to other communities, where they may not even be able to stay where they once were."

Van Zandt added, "with disasters, there’s almost always a loss of affordable housing." This adds to the national housing crisis, she tells us.

"To have a disaster, then make it worse and destroy a lot of affordable housing... and then have new development, which is always going to be more expensive, come back in…then this really makes that problem worse."

There are problems Van Zandt is always trying to solve.

"When a disaster occurs, we have an opportunity to make a big change, to move people out of harm’s way, to develop in higher areas and safer areas."

She also recognizes that isn’t always possible, given the relationship people have with their homes.

"For a lot of our low income minority populations, they have very strong ties to those communities. And those communities have been at risk for decades. And so, I don’t want to suggest that we should move those communities away. I think we need to work with those communities so they can write about their own destiny."

Times like now, the hurricane off-season, are always a good opportunity to look at your home and neighborhood's risk, to be prepared for the next season. The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season will begin on June 1. 

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