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Papers by mussa hangi

Research paper thumbnail of Sheltering and Housing Recovery after Disasters: Dissecting the problems of policy implementation and possible solutions

Meeting housing demands in normal times are difficult but it is even more challenging when resour... more Meeting housing demands in normal times are difficult but it is even more challenging when resources are stretched thin in the aftermath of disasters and demands become greater. This exploratory research is aimed at finding the problems involved in the implementation of disaster housing programs in order to help improve upon delivery. Using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT), County Directors of Emergency Management Agencies in Ohio were asked to recall and retell their experiences with sheltering/housing in the aftermath of the last disaster that occurred in their county. The study found out that some of the barriers to successful implementation of shelters and housing programs in the aftermath of disasters were politics and bureaucracy; lack of adequate knowledge about laws governing recovery; lack of recovery plans for functional/special needs population; lack of backup power to operate emergency operation centers; adoption of forward mapping approach instead of backward mapping approach to implementation and political interference in the hiring of personnel working for county EMAs leading to less qualified people being hired. Recommendation for success and directions for future research were also suggested. This article discusses housing recovery after disasters and the problems that have afflicted the implementation of such programs. Eventually all recovery efforts are geared towards long term recovery of the devastated community. When a community experiences a disaster that wipes out or damages lots of houses, the process of recovery has always been very painful and slow. The process is sometimes embedded with bureaucracy/politics and the impacted victims sometimes become very angry when government response does not come in handy. The Center for Research into the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) defines a disaster as situation or event, which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to national or international level of assistance; an unforeseen and often sudden event that causes great damage, destruction and human suffering (CRED 2006). Dyson(2005); Enarson and Morrow(1998) said that while no one in its path can expect to escape the wrath of natural disasters, and wealth is no answer, disasters especially afflict the vulnerable who happens to be the poor, women and children. There are many definitions for recovery, but Mileti (1999) said that the recovery phase of disaster management kicks in when fire and police officials(first responders) have gone back to their stations and local public officials are dealing with debris removal, infrastructure, economic development and housing. It also includes temporary housing, food and clothing, debris clearance, psychological counseling, job assistance and loans to restart small businesses. Smith and Wenger (2006) also described the recovery phase as the process of restoring, rebuilding and reshaping the physical, social, economic, and natural environment through pre-event planning and post-disaster actions. 1.1 The Right to Shelter and Housing Gould (2009) said that the right to housing does not spring whole from a disaster but is grounded in the well-established right to housing under international law. While the right to housing is among the most recognized of the economic, social, and cultural rights, this is not the same as saying that the right to housing has been realized. The basis for the right to housing under international law is propounded by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Article 11 of the ICESCR asserts that " the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions " (p.5).

Research paper thumbnail of Sheltering and Housing Recovery after Disasters: Dissecting the problems of policy implementation and possible solutions

Meeting housing demands in normal times are difficult but it is even more challenging when resour... more Meeting housing demands in normal times are difficult but it is even more challenging when resources are stretched thin in the aftermath of disasters and demands become greater. This exploratory research is aimed at finding the problems involved in the implementation of disaster housing programs in order to help improve upon delivery. Using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT), County Directors of Emergency Management Agencies in Ohio were asked to recall and retell their experiences with sheltering/housing in the aftermath of the last disaster that occurred in their county. The study found out that some of the barriers to successful implementation of shelters and housing programs in the aftermath of disasters were politics and bureaucracy; lack of adequate knowledge about laws governing recovery; lack of recovery plans for functional/special needs population; lack of backup power to operate emergency operation centers; adoption of forward mapping approach instead of backward mapping approach to implementation and political interference in the hiring of personnel working for county EMAs leading to less qualified people being hired. Recommendation for success and directions for future research were also suggested. This article discusses housing recovery after disasters and the problems that have afflicted the implementation of such programs. Eventually all recovery efforts are geared towards long term recovery of the devastated community. When a community experiences a disaster that wipes out or damages lots of houses, the process of recovery has always been very painful and slow. The process is sometimes embedded with bureaucracy/politics and the impacted victims sometimes become very angry when government response does not come in handy. The Center for Research into the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) defines a disaster as situation or event, which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to national or international level of assistance; an unforeseen and often sudden event that causes great damage, destruction and human suffering (CRED 2006). Dyson(2005); Enarson and Morrow(1998) said that while no one in its path can expect to escape the wrath of natural disasters, and wealth is no answer, disasters especially afflict the vulnerable who happens to be the poor, women and children. There are many definitions for recovery, but Mileti (1999) said that the recovery phase of disaster management kicks in when fire and police officials(first responders) have gone back to their stations and local public officials are dealing with debris removal, infrastructure, economic development and housing. It also includes temporary housing, food and clothing, debris clearance, psychological counseling, job assistance and loans to restart small businesses. Smith and Wenger (2006) also described the recovery phase as the process of restoring, rebuilding and reshaping the physical, social, economic, and natural environment through pre-event planning and post-disaster actions. 1.1 The Right to Shelter and Housing Gould (2009) said that the right to housing does not spring whole from a disaster but is grounded in the well-established right to housing under international law. While the right to housing is among the most recognized of the economic, social, and cultural rights, this is not the same as saying that the right to housing has been realized. The basis for the right to housing under international law is propounded by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Article 11 of the ICESCR asserts that " the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions " (p.5).