This research examines populations predisposed to long term displacement from catastrophic hurricanes. This examination is most critical in the coastal portions of the eight most hurricane-prone states--. A band that stretches from Texas on the west along the Gulf Coast to Florida and then up the Atlantic Coast to North Carolina. The research will result in a variety of products including: (i) a new Displacement Index and related maps to estimate the magnitude of the potential displaced-persons problem, using indicators drawn from earlier studies of vulnerability as well as indicators specific to housing and policy conditions; and (ii) an analysis of how state-level policies associated with housing, emergency assistance, planning, and land development enhance or reduce vulnerability and displacement.
Underrepresented populations (who are oftentimes the most vulnerable and predisposed to displacement) and society will benefit from identification and explication of the gaps found in both the emergency-management model and in policies for housing and land development, specifically as they relate to catastrophic events and large-scale displacement. The research is multi-level, multi-scale and employs a mixed method approach, and is also transferable for assessing the displacement impacts of other types of catastrophic events. This research will also help clarify the role played by various political actors and institutions in their mitigation of and response to long-term displacement problems, and serve to affirm or reject existing theories of the policy process.
