A joint report by the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC) and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) analyzes the risks that natural hazards pose to federally assisted homes and their communities. The authors used the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Risk Index (NRI) along with data from PAHRC’s National Housing Preservation Database (NHPD).
Nearly 1.2 million federally assisted homes, or 24% of the affordable rental housing stock, are in census tracts with the greatest overall risk of negative impacts from natural hazards relative to the nation. In eight states, more than half of federally assisted homes are in census tracts with the greatest risk of negative impacts.
Out of the six most destructive hazards in terms of loss of property and life, heat waves are the most prevalent hazard threatening residents of federally assisted homes. 28% of federally assisted rental homes are in census tracts with the greatest risk of losses from extreme heat. 25% of federally assisted rental homes are in census tracts with the greatest risk of losses from tornadoes, and 23% are in census tracts with the greatest risk of losses from riverine flooding.
Federally assisted homes in rural areas are more vulnerable to the negative impacts of natural hazards compared to homes in urban areas. 30% of federally assisted rental homes in rural areas were in census tracts with the greatest risk for negative impacts compared to 23% of federally assisted rental homes in urban areas.