The ‘Old American Dream,’ a Trap as the Floods Keep Coming

An article in the New York Times highlights the experience of homeowners in Houston's poorest neighborhoods as they struggle to bounce back from climate-related natural disasters. As frequent flooding, and most recently last month's winter storm, have continued to hit communities, low-income communities are the slowest to bounce back, if they do at all.

New U.S. Strategy Would Quickly Free Billions in Climate Funds

The Federal Emergency Management Agency aims to free up as much as $10 billion to build climate resiliency through existing grant programs through a budgeting maneuver which would count federal COVID spending towards a formula that allocates money towards climate programs, according to an article in the New York Times.

What Will Happen to Your Next Home if Builders Get Their Way?

An article in the New York Times today highlights the building industry's efforts to influence building codes, which are typically adopted by states and local governments every three years, often relying on influential models set by the International Code Council. These building codes protect homeowners from sustaining damage in extreme weather events, and reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.

U.S. Disaster Costs Doubled in 2020, Reflecting Costs of Climate Change

A recent article in the New York Times reported that disaster costs from hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters in the U.S. were $95 billion in 2020, more than double the previous year's costs. These disasters, which reflect the growing impacts of climate change, include California's largest-ever wildfires and a record number of Atlantic storms, including Hurricane Laura.

Real Estate Investors Want to Know What Cities Are Doing About Climate Risks

An article in Bloomberg CityLab highlights how real estate investors and developers are increasingly taking into consideration climate risk factors in deciding whether to purchase land, including looking at what local governments have done to prepare for climate change. The article underscores the fact that the real estate industry is increasingly recognizing that the long-term viability of investments will be dependent on factors such as climate predictions, critical infrastructure investments, and fiscal policy constraints.