🏡💚 Weathering the storm
February 16th, 2024
You may have noticed I skipped the last two weeks of these “weekly” newsletters (you may not have noticed). I’ll do my best to write something every week, and I hope they serve as a helpful resource in building our collective understanding of the ways that the housing and climate crises converge — and how our solutions can address both. But also, sometimes things come up and it might not happen every week.
That being said, I’m glad this is a team effort, as this week’s newsletter comes courtesy of our very own GND State Organizer, Sim Bilal. Sim has been on the ground in LA and San Diego in the past few weeks witnessing the impacts of the atmospheric rivers. He shares some of his reflections below:
This past week, California got slammed with another historic storm and atmospheric river, causing at least nine deaths across the state, as well as major landslides and floods in climate-vulnerable areas. In Los Angeles, for example, major landslides in Baldwin Hills and Rancho Palos Verdes sent many homes sliding, creating significant issues with plumbing and infrastructure. The city of Rancho Palos Verdes declared a state of emergency until April and called for support from the county, state, and federal governments as we approach another storm next week.
This begs the question: how many resources will we dispense in wealthy climate-vulnerable areas when many of these homes are mere feet from sliding into the ocean, while many communities living on the frontlines of environmental and climate injustice are flooded from a lack of well-maintained infrastructure?
As we come to expect more extreme conditions due to the climate crisis, it's clear we are also marching toward the increasing inequitable distribution of resources. We must be more intentional about what we’re investing in and who we consider a priority for government support and resources.
These floods highlighted the ways that climate disasters intersect with housing and our inadequate systems of social support. To name just a few that I’ve seen first-hand:
ISSUE #1: The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) claimed they wouldn’t be able to cancel in-person classes because that would mean many students wouldn’t be able to eat due to their reliance on school-provided lunch. Even in emergency conditions, we don’t have clear systems in place to protect people. Children and families shouldn’t have to choose between eating and being safe at home.
ISSUE #2: Another issue that emerged is the lack of shelter for unhoused people. We had temperatures dipping below 50 degrees with torrential rain and flooding. Cases of hospitalization spiked, multiple people died, and there were numerous reports of homeless people scrambling for safety and in some cases needing rescue. Across the state, we’ve left people to fend for themselves, and that is unacceptable. Our fight for climate justice is inseparable from the unhoused community, as they are on the frontline of the climate crisis.
ISSUE #3: In addition to the issues around forcing people to venture out onto the dangerous, flooded areas, and people sleeping outside in the midst of a literal disaster, we’ve seen an increase in reports of damaged and failing infrastructure from the rain, including power outages, leaking, dampness, and flooded homes. It's clear more than ever we need to invest in updating and weatherizing the homes of California to be climate resilient. Because this storm is just the beginning.
More storms are expected in California in the coming week, and we know the climate crisis will only increase the frequency and extremity of climate disasters. We need to ensure everyone has a safe, affordable, stable, and sustainable home.
If your home was damaged by the past storm, your city or county might be offering some support. Check out these resources for California and LA — if you know of any more please share them!
Flooding caused major damage to homes and neighborhoods. Source: LA Times
WHAT WE’RE READING
Upcoming California storms could push some areas to hit weather records (San Francisco Chronicle)
California storm: After 5 days, the rain has stopped. in its wake, 9 dead, a trail of destruction (LA Times)
LA County maps out a recovery process for residents hit hard by storms (Daily News)
Historic Rainfall May Exacerbate Palos Verdes Landslide Area ‘In A Matter Of Weeks’ (LAist)
Social Housing Advocates Aim to Get Back on the Ballot for Dedicated Funding (The Urbanist) — latest news from the social housing push in Seattle
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