Despite billions of dollars in reconstruction aid, with no overarching housing policy, Haiti's recovery from a devastating earthquake in 2010 has become a protracted humanitarian crisis, especially for hundreds of thousands remaining in tent cities.
Deborah Sontag explores the uneven Haitian rebuilding efforts two and a half years after a devastating earthquake struck the poverty-afflicted island country, and finds that "the most obvious, pressing need - safe, stable
housing for all displaced people - remains unmet."
Sontag reveals that despite some permanent rebuilding efforts, a significant portion of Haiti's shelter reconstruction budget has been spent on "small-scale temporary solutions," such as one-room transitional shelters and rent subsidies.
"In the absence of an overarching housing policy, Haiti's shelter problem
has been tackled unsystematically, in a way that has favored rural over
urban victims and homeowners over renters because their needs were more
easily met. Many families with the least resources have been neglected
unless they happened to belong to a tent camp, neighborhood or
vulnerable population targeted by a particular program," writes Sontag.
FULL STORY: Years After Haiti Quake, Safe Housing Is a Dream for Many
'Place Shock' and the Ecology of Fear
How to conceive of rebuilding places amid sudden change in a region known for its “ecology of fear?” As the city embarks on the arduous task of rebuilding, the question arises: how do we reconcile the imperatives of safety and sustainability with the deeply ingrained human desire for continuity, for a sense of rootedness in the familiar?
California Town Looks to Rebuild After Wildfire, but No Clear Path Forward
Paradise, California, burned to the ground last year, and the town’s recovery has begun. But questions remain about the measures that should be put into place to prevent another disaster.
The Post-Wildfire Dilemma: Rebuild or Retreat?
Even after experiencing devastating wildfires, residents are often willing to take the risk to return and start over.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
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Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
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