A system disconnected: perspectives on post-disaster housing recovery policy and programs

Abstract

This study provides insights from individuals working to reestablish permanent housing in Sea Bright, NJ, following Hurricane Sandy. To collect these perspectives, we gathered data in two ways: a self-administered questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. We mailed questionnaires to every household in Sea Bright that included a number of fixed response items and open-ended questions that focused on the interface of government and citizens to discuss their housing recovery process and problems or pitfalls they have encountered while recovering. To complement our questionnaire data, we conducted interviews with full-time residents, part-time residents, homeowners, renters, and representatives of the local, state, and federal government. We utilized conventional content analysis methods to discover sociological themes, focusing on the underlying behaviors, actions, and emotions the text portrayed. Several powerful themes emerged from our analysis of the open-ended questions and interviews. Most notably, we found a fundamental disconnect between how policymakers and homeowners viewed the housing recovery process. In particular, survivors highlighted the amount of and complexity-laden paperwork associated with the aid process, unfavorable interactions with government employees and a system that seemed to have goals that were inherently different from their own, and the sense that the rules associated with aid were constantly changing. We conclude with a discussion of additional research needs and some preliminary policy recommendations based on these insights.