Addressing Housing Safety and Affordability Amid Climate Change

Members of the Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) are hosting an event titled “Envisioning Housing That is Safe and Affordable: A MACH Climate-Focused Public Event.”
This event, which is free and open to the public, aims to bring together climate researchers, housing experts and residents to explore the challenges arising at the intersection of coastal climate risk and housing affordability. It will take place on May 28, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s College Avenue Student Center, 126 College Ave., New Brunswick.
MACH is a 13-institution National Science Foundation-funded consortium that studies how changing coastal hazards, human decisions, policy and markets shape climate risks in complex, urbanized coastal regions like the U.S. mid-Atlantic.
Robert Kopp, director of MACH, emphasized the importance of the topic to be explored at the event.
“Climate change impacts our nation’s housing safety and affordability,” said Kopp, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences. “To address this challenge, we need to bring the research community together with other experts and residents working and living at this climate risk intersection.”
The event will feature a distinguished panel including:
● Michael Oppenheimer, Director of the Center for Policy Research on Energy & Environment, Princeton University
● Robert Freudenberg, Vice President of Energy & Environment, Regional Plan Association
● Chris Sturm, Policy Director for Land Use, New Jersey Future
● Saundra Malanowicz, Program Manager, City of Philadelphia, Division of Housing & Community Development

The “housing affordability crisis” refers to the growing inability of people to find living spaces, due to factors such as high housing costs, stagnant incomes, a limited housing supply, economic inequality and regulatory barriers.
Problems stemming from the crisis will be compounded by climate change, the meeting organizers said. As coastal areas become more expensive, the diminished supply of affordable homes will create financial stress for families and federal, state and local governments.
The meeting will be collaborative, seeking to foster an inclusive dialogue among researchers, experts, residents and other stakeholders, addressing critical issues related to housing safety and affordability amid climate change.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in interactive roundtables and facilitation sessions, sharing knowledge and envisioning solutions for housing safety and affordability in the face of climate change.
“As climate researchers, we bring a scientific perspective,” Kopp said. “During this event, we invite the public to join us and bring their individual perspectives to this important dialogue.”
Organizers are asking attendees to register via the MACH website.