Alternate content for script

After a disaster, transforming neighborhoods into more resilient communities

1/6/2017

Cynthia W. Burton, Executive Director & Jacqueline Standridge, Director, Planning and Development, Community Service Programs of West Alabama

Challenge: In 2011 a tornado struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama, completely leveling businesses and residential communities. A large section of low-income and public rental housing was destroyed. The city began the difficult task of finding housing for their most vulnerable residents.

Grayscale photo of a tornado touching down

On April 27, 2011, the Tuscaloosa metro area was hit by multiple tornados. The result was one of the most devastating natural disasters in the nation's history, yet it all took place in just six minutes. The tornado cut a path of destruction six miles long and a half-mile wide through the middle of the City of Tuscaloosa. In the following weeks the community received distressing reports: 53 dead, 1,200 injured, 12.5 percent of the city's buildings and infrastructure destroyed and 5,362 homes damaged or demolished. Seven thousand people were left homeless and thousands of jobs were lost.

A large section of buildings that were destroyed were a mix of low-income and public rental housing and University of Alabama off-campus apartments. The students were eventually able to find other housing, leaving only the need to rebuild units for displaced low-income residents.

The city mourned the loss of family and friends and began the task of trying to make sense out of the rubble. At the time, it was quite difficult to fully comprehend the total effects of the damage caused by the tornados. But one thing was certain – rebuilding homes needed to be an intense focus for the agency over the next 12 to 36 months.

As a community action agency and community housing development organization, Community Service Programs of West Alabama (CSP) realized that low-income families and elderly individuals were particularly hard hit and vulnerable. CSP's goal was to mitigate the risks to these families by addressing their housing needs as quickly as possible yet also taking the time needed to produce durable and affordable housing. NeighborWorks America quickly partnered with CSP to mobilize resources to address the immediate and long-term housing needs of this population.

Grayscale photo of a row of houses and trees in the backdropCSP identified a parcel of land that a previous developer had begun preparing for construction in 2009 but abandoned due to the economic downturn. The infrastructure was partially complete, most of the grading was complete and more than half of the sanitary sewer pipes and gutters had been installed. But no residential construction had begun.

The property is located in Hurricane Creek, in the eastern part of Tuscaloosa County, which is known for its natural beauty. Hurricane Creek spreads into the westernmost point of the Southern Appalachians and is the southernmost free-flowing stream in Appalachia. Residents of the community were concerned about the proposed project and the impact of the development. CSP worked closely with the residents of the area to ensure that the new construction would fit with the environment.

CSP proposed developing the property with 50 single-family homes for senior housing. The agency turned to NeighborWorks and recruited other partners, including the City of Tuscaloosa and the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, to help finance the project.

If there is any silver lining in the darkness of a natural disaster, it's the opportunity to transform neighborhoods into more resilient communities that can better withstand future disasters. The agency's response to the natural disaster was ultimately twofold. It first addressed the immediate needs of families harmed by the event. With NeighborWorks as its partner, CSP channeled resources to provide basic housing for the families displaced by the tornado. In doing so, they built trust with the families and residents in the area that helped in the long-term recovery goal of creating an affordable housing development.

Secondly, our agency was able to take the time needed to listen to the community. The result was housing that improved the quality of life for a vulnerable population and also satisfied the need to fit in with the cultural characteristics of the long-established Hurricane Creek residential neighborhoods. The result is a stronger social cohesion between the "old" neighborhoods of Hurricane Creek and the new development.

In addition to forging this new social collaboration and providing needed housing, our agency learned several lessons:  
  1. While it can be helpful for generating funds and attention, being designated as a presidentially declared disaster area can also overwhelm local capacity and necessitate a need to bring in a myriad of resources. Each resource will have its unique set of documenting and reporting requirements that can be cumbersome. Time must be taken to examine the financial resources and the subsequent requirements that may need to be addressed.
  2. Communication with the community is key. CSP had to address concerns of residents in the neighborhood of the proposed development while also working with elderly individuals and their families who had been displaced by the disaster.
  3. Be part of the solution. The City of Tuscaloosa delayed immediate rebuilding efforts so they could first conduct a series of community planning meetings and develop a master plan that would guide the recovery efforts. CSP participated in the meetings and worked closely with city officials to ensure the needs of the agency's constituency were represented.
Our organization was able to turn the destruction of the tornado into a positive outcome for seniors in our area through careful planning, communication and collaboration with government and nonprofit partners.