Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />In 2015, ABAG and BCDC published Stronger Housing, Safer Communities, a report that <br />identified ten primary indicators that represent characteristics of individuals and <br />households that affect their ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster.1 <br />These indicators collectively present a picture of a community’s vulnerability to stressors. <br />Concentration of these indicators, or areas with multiple indicators, can inhibit the <br />recovery of a community. Key themes that emerged included age-related vulnerabilities, <br />language and ethnicity vulnerabilities, cost-burdened residents, housing tenure issues, and <br />access to resources. Indicators were measured and scored using the method developed by <br />the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to identify Communities of Concern <br />(CoC). This is meant to identify block groups with higher than average concentrations of <br />the particular indicator and therefore may have higher concentrations of vulnerability. The <br />following table includes the ten indicators that contribute to the vulnerability of people and <br />households. <br />Table 1: Community Vulnerability Characteristics <br />Indicator Measure <br />Housing cost burden % household monthly housing >50% of gross monthly income <br />Transportation cost burden % household monthly transportation costs >5% of gross monthly income <br />Home ownership % not owner occupied housing <br />Household income % households with income less than 50% AMI <br />Education % persons without a high school diploma >18 years <br />Racial/Cultural Composition % non-white <br />Transit dependence % households without a vehicle <br />Non-English speakers % households where no one ≥ 15 speaks English well <br />Age – Young children % young children under 5 years <br />Age – Elderly % elderly, over 75 years <br /> <br />1 ABAG and BCDC, 2015