Office of the County Engineer’s Post

We are excited to announce the official groundbreaking of the new Caldwell County Evacuation Center in Luling, TX – a state-of-the-art, 43,000-square-foot facility designed to enhance disaster response and community resilience. Back in 2019, Doucet, alongside our talented partner Method Architecture, helped Caldwell County secure a competitive federal grant for disaster mitigation funds. This grant laid the foundation for a 250-bed evacuation center, designed to protect and serve our community in times of need. Despite the challenge of soaring construction costs from 2020 to 2023, "Doucet assisted the County and City of Luling with obtaining additional grant funds to fully fund the ~$22M final cost of construction, permitting, and design." - Tracy Bratton, Director of Land Development READ MORE ---> https://lnkd.in/gRYXdVsc #DoucetDifference #WeAreKleinfelder #CaldwellCounty #DisasterPreparedness #ConstructionExcellence #EvacuationCenter

#climate #placemaking Check out this moving article and link to the webinar highlighting ongoing work in communities still reeling from Hurricane Helene!

For my friends and network contacts in #Toronto: This July 16th, the Evergreen Brick Works site in Toronto suffered an extraordinary flood, the worst one they have ever experienced since opening the Brick Works in 2010. As an organisation, Evergreen Canada is dedicated to build vibrant public spaces, working with community builders across sectors to solve some of the most pressing issues cities face: climate change, housing affordability, and access to public spaces and nature. - Revaluing #nature in #cities is a shared mission that we foster through direct parthernship with Evergreen and our initiative Trees-as-Infrastructure (TreesAI) 🌲 Evergreen's workplaces are located in the Evergreen Brick Works site, which came about by the Evergreen team converting a deteriorating 130-year-old former brick factory industrial site hidden in the ravines at the heart of Toronto into Canada’s first large scale community environmental centre where they engage visitors in experiences connected to city and nature. While Evergreen Brick Works has been designed as as flood resilient 'sponge', and the site's greenways, cisterns, and other features did their job shielding people and site, there are still severe impacts on the ground floor across the site: Here, Evergreen Brick Works hosts public markets which act as incubators for small local businesses, accomodates public functions such as event spaces and classrooms as well as the Children's Garden, where Evergreen Brick Works offers unique programming for kids and youth to explore Toronto's ravine systems in the heart of the Lower Don Valley. - All of this has been severely damaged by the extreme rainfall this July 16th, and Evergreen can use support for their flood recovery to get this Toronto landmark back up and running again. Human connections and support are also part of climate resilience. I just donated.

🏠💡 Exciting news for Hurricane-Ian impacted Floridians! Over $910 million in funding available for rebuilding with a focus on vulnerable communities. Here's a breakdown: - Rebuild Florida programs aim to create safe homes and affordable housing. - FloridaCommerce prioritizes housing for the neediest citizens post-disaster. - Lee, Orange, Sarasota, and Volusia counties receive direct federal allocations for recovery efforts. 💰 Funding Opportunities: - Home Repairs: Eligible homeowners can receive funding through the HRRP program. - Workforce Housing: $100 million available for new affordable workforce housing. - Infrastructure: $82 million for critical infrastructure projects in impacted communities. Don't miss out on these crucial resources to rebuild and strengthen our communities. Let's work together to create a resilient Florida for all. Apply now and make a lasting impact! #RebuildFlorida #HurricaneIanRecovery #CommunityResilience #FloridaStrong #HousingRecovery #InfrastructureDevelopment

Out of tragedy, an opportunity emerges. 🌱 Read how planners are working to create Tactical Neighborhood Hubs (TNHs) in a region devastated by natural disasters: https://lnkd.in/e4avEGAP #tacticalurbanism #placemaking #climatechange #naturaldisasters #disasterrecovery #hurricanehelene

Thank you Bloomberg for referencing our The Brookings Institution report "Disasters and the Rental Housing Community: Setting a Research and Policy Agenda" in your CityLab/Housing news article "Should Evictions Be Banned After Hurricanes and Climate Disasters?" posted on October 8. These are existential challenges as we have witnessed the impact of Hurricane Helene and Milton. The article describes rental housing challenges faced by renters experiencing natural disasters since rents hike up in limited supply and higher demand. Sadly, what it means is that some renters even are put at the risk of evictions. Sonoma County has adopted a moratorium on evictions during declared emergencies, a model that housing advocates want to see nationwide, the article writes.  A quote related to our The Brookings Institution report: "Even if residents can continue to pay rent or find a place to stay after displacement, it’s likely to be more expensive: A recent study by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Brookings Institute found that rents rise 4% to 6% immediately in an area impacted by a disaster — and then continue to rise for three years." Link to our report: https://lnkd.in/gZ79j5Bx Link to the Bloomberg article: https://lnkd.in/eeP28jh6 The Brookings Institution Enterprise Community Partners National Low Income Housing Coalition Cal Poly Pomona College of Business Administration Occidental College Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Tech School of Public Policy Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts Georgia Department of Community Affairs

As an increasing amount of households become renter occupied, we have to ask what equitable resilience standards exist. Are there adequate options for insurance, retrofit resources, ongoing recovery supports, or even eviction moratoriums following a catostrophic event?

Truly a once in a lifetime project.

CONSTANT celebrates National Community Planning Month this October. In recognition of National Community Planning Month, FEMA is spotlighting the importance of hazard mitigation planning. The hazard mitigation planning process, and subsequent plan, provides a pathway for jurisdictions and their communities to understand natural hazard risks, enact long-term projects to mitigate impacts, and act on changing risks. As the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene continue to effect the Southeastern states and its communities, the destruction that natural hazards can leave behind cannot be understated. Contact CONSTANT today if we can support your jurisdiction with hazard mitigation planning, and stay tuned for our upcoming white paper. For more information on hazard mitigation planning, visit: https://lnkd.in/gfhVUjPB. #HazardMitigation #CommunityPlanning #EmergencyManagement

🌟 Exciting News for North Florida Communities! 🏗️💼 Governor Ron DeSantis' recent announcement of over $66 million in grants for Hurricane Idalia-impacted areas is a game-changer for our region's development and prosperity. Let's delve into how these funds will shape our communities: - $9.2 million allocated to Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners, Madison County, and Big Bend Technical College for infrastructure enhancements and workforce education expansion. - $50 million through the Hurricane Idalia Recovery Grant Program to aid in building repairs, debris removal, and infrastructure projects. - $6.8 million for rural counties' road resurfacing and widening projects, fostering accessibility and connectivity. These strategic investments not only rebuild what was lost but also pave the way for new business opportunities and job creation, fueling economic growth and stability in our area for years to come. Let's continue to work together to build stronger, more resilient communities! 💪✨ #FloridaRealEstate #CommunityDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #WorkforceEducation #InfrastructureImprovement #HurricaneRecovery