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Research Center Gets Grant to Study Post-Disaster Housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded the NAHB Research Center a $2.9 million grant to conduct extensive research and provide counsel on effective post-disaster housing alternatives in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
HUD competitively selected the Research Center to oversee technical evaluation of the construction and viability of housing built under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's $400 million Alternative Housing Pilot Program (AHPP), an initiative aimed at expanding the types of housing FEMA provides disaster-affected communities.
Through this award, the NAHB Research Center will provide HUD, and ultimately Congress, an in-depth assessment of how the AHPP projects are performing in Gulf Coast states.
The study of AHPP housing alternatives will span 54 months, focusing on work sites in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Since much of the AHPP housing will be factory-built, the Research Center selected the Manufactured Housing Research Alliance (MHRA) as its primary partner for technical engineering analysis during the project.
Together, the Research Center and MHRA offer a complete range of technical expertise for both factory-built and site-built housing constructed to HUD code and national/local building code standards.
The effort will also provide a structured and comprehensive approach that FEMA can use in evaluating and prioritizing housing options for future disaster recovery; a template for designing, evaluating and managing future housing needs.
The Research Center will also work in close collaboration with ABT Associates, a consulting company selected by HUD to complete a concurrent 48-month social science evaluation of AHPP housing and residents. ABT will explore issues such as social and cultural impact, as well as evaluate occupant comfort.
With the successful completion of both evaluations, the findings of this multiple-year study could be influential in improving the products and processes used to construct AHPP units and in identifying planning factors necessary to employ these housing alternatives to provide better, safer and more cost-effective housing solutions in the aftermath of future national disasters.
“This project is critical because our findings could fundamentally alter the way the nation responds to the post-disaster housing and social needs of American families,” said Michael Luzier, president of the NAHB Research Center. “Helping improve housing performance is at the core of our mission and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in this research and the report to Congress.”
In 2006, Congress appropriated the funds to launch AHPP, giving FEMA the ability to examine an assortment of non-traditional housing designs and long-term solutions for families displaced by the 2005 hurricanes in the Gulf Coast. While serving the immediate needs of the Gulf Coast region, the AHPP projects also offer the unique opportunity to examine ongoing housing issues.
With its partners, the Research Center will oversee detailed analysis of key housing attributes important to the federal government in measuring the value of its housing investment. Throughout the process, regular updates will be submitted to HUD detailing progress at each of the sites before a final report is sent to Congress.
The progress reports will cover:
- Analysis of design
- Method of construction
- Code and regulatory compliance
- Cost of the units
- Speed of delivery to the site
- Site work required
- Speed of installation
- Cost of installation
- Initial performance of the units at installation
- Ability of the units to support the needs of a wide variety of residents
- Initial acceptance of the units by individual residents
- initial acceptance of the units by the community
Factors such as moisture, durability, sustainability, foundation performance, indoor air quality and energy performance will also be key.
To gather comprehensive data throughout the participating states, the Research Center and MHRA will work closely with each of the state AHPP grantees, local and federal government officials.
For more information, e-mail Kimberly Warren at the NAHB Research Center, or call her at 800-638-8556 x6269.
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