Checking for Resilience in Multifamily Housing

Two years ago, when Washington, D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) was developing a plan to prepare the district for a changing climate, Kate Johnson recalls a series of meetings with people from the utilities and those who work in the district’s affordable housing sector. Johnson, the chief of the green building and climate branch, said they pored over maps showing how vulnerable the housing could be in the future due to flooding from severe storms.

Seeing those maps was eye opening. “One of the actions we needed to do was a much deeper assessment of vulnerability of affordable housing,” Johnson said. Besides flooding, there is also concern for residents during severe heat waves.