Austin NilesReplyReply allForward

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To:​Foundation​

Tue 2025-03-25 1:37 AM

As VWF continues to expand and we all dial in “What we want to do” as we grow our mission, I would like to share.

A passion and Operational focus, in combination with the support roles stated in Saturday’s Weekly Update – Austin Niles.  

Additional Resource Links at the end. 

Overview:

The concept/focus of Resilience for community, home, individual, and our organization will become an increasingly important area for us when engaging with and creating communities. 

This Operational Focus and possible department, will identify and address the many unique vulnerabilities of future project locations, communities, cultures, livelihoods, natural resources, etc. and co-develop solutions to position stakeholders for growth and flexibility with challenges or disasters.

Importance:

• Adaptability: Each community/project has distinct vulnerabilities that require tailored resilience strategies. By focusing on resilience, we can ensure our housing projects are equipped to handle various challenges, from natural disasters to economic shifts.
• Long-Term Stability: Resilient housing contributes to the long-term stability and well-being of our community members. 
• Comprehensive Approach: This will encapsulate data collection, research, stakeholder engagement, land assessments, and more.

Objectives:

• Strategic Planning: Develop and implement strategic plans for housing resilience and community development.
• Capacity Building: Establish standards, guidelines, and monitoring systems to build capacity in housing resilience. Provide training and support to staff and community members.
• Collaboration: Partner with local governments, non-profits, and other stakeholders to enhance community participation and project succes. Work across departments to integrate resilience thinking into long-term programs.
• Advocacy and Research: Lead advocacy efforts for housing resilience and disaster risk reduction. Conduct research and engage in community outreach to promote resilience practices, products, systems, and more.
• Emergency Response Planning: Building off the VWF Emergency Response plans to ensure communities, projects, and our organization + partners are prepared for and can recover quickly from disasters. 
• “Palette of Solutions”: Continue building our database of innovative business connections and materials to contribute to housing projects for various situations. Continuously updating to incorporate new technologies and techniques.

Benefits:

• Enhanced community stability and reduced vulnerability to disasters.
• Improved quality of life and peace of mind for residents through resilient housing and infrastructure.
• Increased support and funding opportunities from donors and partners.
• Strengthened community engagement and collaboration.
• Access to cutting-edge materials and techniques for sustainable housing.

Conclusion: Integrating a data driven focus on community and housing resilience is a crucial component many projects and initiatives. This department will ensure our housing projects are sustainable, adaptable, and capable of providing long-term stability and flexibility. 

I’m excited to discuss this more with the team and how it can help drive our mission forward.

Links to Additional Resources and Information:

Build Change | Every Home is Disaster-Resilient

Build Change | Every Home is Disaster-ResilientWomen-led global social innovator with a vision to make every home disaster resilient.buildchange.org

Housing Resilience: Best Practices for States on Resilient Planning & Recovery – National Governors Association

Housing Resilience: Best Practices for States on Resilient Planning & RecoveryThis white paper is informed by perspectives from a roundtable on enhancing housing resilience that NGA hosted in January 2019 in conjunction with the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS).www.nga.org

2019-08-15-Final-NGA-Housing-Resilience-Whitepaper.pdf

Housing Resilience: Best Practices for States on Resilient Planning & Recovery – National Governors Association– 8 – Housing Resilience: Best Practices for States on Resilient Planning & Recovery State Challenges Administering Federal Resilience Funds Through the course of the roundtable, attendees raised numerous challenges faced by states in successfullywww.nga.org

Climate Resiliency Flips The Housing Market Upside Down

Climate Resiliency Flips The Housing Market Upside Down – ForbesIt’s becoming impossible to think about where to live without thinking about climate resiliency. It’s changing the safety and affordability of today’s housing market.www.forbes.com