Why Aren’t Evictions Banned During Hurricanes, Climate Disasters?
Also today: Flood-proof fences to face a major test in Tampa, and grappling with urban heat stress in South Africa’s shantytowns.
Damaged belongings outside an apartment building in Treasure Island, Florida, after the storm surge from Hurricane Helene.
Photographer: Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images
In Florida, fears that Hurricane Milton could wreak havoc on the Tampa Bay region’s supply of affordable housing are worsened by a lack of tenant protections. State laws allow landlords to terminate tenants’ leases when their homes are destroyed by storms, which enabled a wave of evictions in 2022 after Hurricane Ian.
To address the polycrises that often render families homeless after disasters, housing advocates are hoping more localities will follow the example of Sonoma County, California: In September, lawmakers there passed an ordinance that includes a first-in-the-US provision banning evictions during declared emergencies, contributor Patrick Sisson reports. Today on CityLab: Should Evictions Be Banned After Hurricanes and Climate Disasters?