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Rural Voices
Driving Change in Disaster Recovery By Timothy Carpenter
GSE improves program to serve disaster-affected families.
According to a recent poll conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Project Porchlight, nearly 60 percent of American adults have experienced a natural disaster and over 70 percent of those experienced a financial burden as a result. While there are numerous studies to cite about the impacts of disaster, I don’t think numbers tell the whole story. The real impact is also personal and emotional — and measured in the way people and communities respond, adapt and rebuild. Our work at Fannie Mae is focused on these broader effects of disaster.
Working together is key We’ve all seen headlines that warn of stronger hurricanes and wildfires than ever before, but we hear very few stories of disaster-impacted communities coming together to rebuild. I know first-hand that when folks who are impacted by a natural disaster decide to stay in the community and come together, plan together, and work together, they can rebuild a more resilient community than before.
