Building Greater Resilience Into Affordable Housing

Hurricane resistance

Another developer intent on building resilience into its affordable communities is Fairstead, which recently completed a $17.7 million rehabilitation of an affordable community in Lauderhill, Fla. The location of 176-unit Lauderhill Point within the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area leaves it especially vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms, says Estelle Chan, senior director, development at Fairstead.

To fortify resilience, Fairstead went beyond cosmetic upgrades to incorporate hurricane-resistant windows, durable roofing systems and reinforced handrails. Bottled water collection drives, routine cleaning of on-site drainage systems and other preparedness initiatives have been instituted to ensure Lauderhill Point and its residents are better prepared for weather emergencies when they arrive, Chan says.

Read Full Article