A digital artwork shows two scenes, separated by a white dividing line. On the left, there are white and black buildings in a green field, a blue sky, and a wind turbine in the background. Silhouettes tug and push on the dividing line. On the right, buildings sink in water and trees are on fire against an orange background.

Under the Lens

Dual Crises: Housing in a Changing Climate

Americans are struggling more than ever to find and maintain housing they can afford. The climate crisis is only making things worse. In this series, Shelterforce takes a deeper look at the intersection of housing and climate change, and the threat a changing climate poses to the nation’s stock of affordable housing. What are some of the possible solutions and challenges to confront that threat?

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A smiling woman wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts extends on arm to the sky while the other touches an air conditioner that shit in the trunk of a car.
Reported Article

Beating Extreme Heat as a Community

U.S. cities don’t provide residents with enough protection against heat, the deadliest weather-related killer in the world. But in NYC, one organization came together to distribute ACs to neighbors in need.

Reported Article

What Makes Affordable Housing ‘Green’?

There’s no one way to determine what makes “green” housing. Here’s a breakdown of the standards and considerations used by the affordable housing industry.

View from middle distance of small village in Alaska under wide cloudy blue sky. The most visible building are low, pitched-roof, red buildings. Beyond them are clustered other houses. The foreground is a flat, snowy or icy ground, possibly a road.
Opinion

Retreating From the Coasts Makes Sense, But Our Current Approach Isn’t Working

As flooding, sea level rise, fires, and other climate impacts increase, we’ll need to move about 20 million Americans by 2100. Here’s how we can rethink managed retreat to get ahead of the rising tides.

Distant view of wildfire in Colorado. In the middle distance are houses and buildings. Beyond them, on the far side of an open landscape of grasses, are more settled areas. Some of the buildings are burning. Over the distant ground, thick dark smoke covers the right-hand seven-eighths of the image.At far left is a bit of blue sky.
Reported Article

What Two Wildfires Reveal About the Cracks in Our Emergency Response

Thousands lost their homes in the Almeda and Marshall fires. Years into long-term recovery, a look at who received emergency assistance and who was left out can teach us a lot about which populations are most vulnerable to climate events.

Four-story apartment complex in bright sunlight, a putty gray with a strip of green at the roofline. Tow cars are parked in front and there are three small trees evenly spaces along the edge of the parking area.
Reported Article

How Quito’s Climate Relocation Plan Left 44 Families in Jeopardy

Thirteen years ago, an ambitious government initiative set out to move hundreds of families away from perilous conditions, including landslides, in Ecuador’s capital. Today, 37 of those households are still waiting for the subsidies they need to become true owners of their new homes.

Seven people in standing with fists raised on a city plaza. All are dressed for cool weather, with mufflers and/or jackets, and caps, including four Santa hats. All are wearing masks as well as orange T-shirts with CEER in large white letters with smaller lettering below that says "Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience."
Interview

In Houston, ‘Climate Ambassadors’ Represent Their Own Neighborhoods

CEER recruits residents to gauge their communities’ climate needs and to act as climate educators. Shelterforce asked Rita Robles and Carmen Cavezza about the program, how it works, and future plans.

View from one end of a wide valley, with mountains in the far distance marking the far side. Below in the valley can be seen human settlements and large tree-covered areas. The sky is blue with fluffy clouds. The foreground is wildflowers, sumac, and other roadside trees and shrubs.
Reported Article

What’s Happening with the Billions in Climate Funding for Low-Income Communities?

Shelterforce breaks down the latest information on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. How can the affordable housing industry take advantage of the funding opportunities, and why are some folks worried about the fund’s rollout?

Shelterforce Weekly

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