Journal Article

Residential Assistance and Recovery Following the Northridge Earthquake

Loukaitou-Sideris, Anastasia, Kamel, Nabil M. O.

2004

Overview

This paper examines the implementation of post-disaster US federal assistance programmes for residential reconstruction and investigates the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics of places and access to residential assistance following the Northridge earthquake that hit Los Angeles in 1994. The paper also examines the effects of the distribution of assistance on long-term recovery outcomes. Findings suggest that areas with high levels of socially marginalised populations were at a disadvantage in accessing federal residential assistance. Findings also show that the long-term effects of the earthquake differed depending on levels of assistance relative to damage. Areas that received less assistance experienced losses in population and housing units. These findings indicate that post-disaster recovery programmes in the US do not adequately address the wide range of housing needs that emerge in the case of a major disaster in a large metropolitan area. Implications for post-disaster planning as well as for planning under everyday conditions are discussed.

• Publisher: Carfax Publishing, Taylor & Francis Ltd,SAGE Publications,Sage Publications Ltd
• Subject: California / Demography / Disaster management / Disaster recovery / Disaster relief / Disasters / Earthquake damage / Earthquakes / Emergency preparedness / Federal aid / Federal and local government relations / Government and politics / Hispanics / Housing / Housing needs / Long term / Los Angeles / Los Angeles, California / Marginality / Marginalization / Marginalized people / Metropolitan Areas / Natural Disasters / Neighborhoods / Property damage / Regional planning / Residential areas / Residents / Seismic activity / Sociodemographic Characteristics / Sociodemographics / U.S.A / United States / Urban planning / Urban studies / Welfare Services / ZIP codes