Sara McTarnaghan

Hurricanes and wildfires influence homebuyers, if only for a minute Interest in climate risk surges after disasters, according to the real estate platform Redfin, but soon diminishes.

See my commentary @washingtonpost.com in re changing patterns for climate risk "information" among consumers. The seasonal dimension does seem important, if it holds up statistically. It is nice to see Redfin engaged. www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025...

Congestion pricing improved air quality in NYC and suburbs | Cornell Chronicle Cornell researchers tallied the environmental benefits of New York City’s congestion pricing program and found air pollution dropped by 22% in Manhattan, with additional declines across the city’s fiv...

In addition to all of the other benefits already reported about NYC congestion pricing, "In the first six months of the program, air pollution – in the form of particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller – dropped by 22% in the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ)"

news.cornell.edu/stories/2025...

The report explores strategies that states, municipalities, philanthropies, and community-based organizations can use to expand solar opportunity, alleviate high energy cost burdens, and improve residents’ quality of life.

Screenshot of table available on report page showing neighborhoods in housing with the most potential for solar opportunity

In Houston, neighborhoods with the greatest potential for solar benefit are primarily clustered in eastern and northeastern parts of the city.

Screenshot of map report landing page that shows chicago neighborhoods with the highest potential

In #Chicago they found 9,088 owner-occupied, single-family properties were in high-potential areas, with roughly half of those properties ready for solar now and another 1,801 properties ready for solar with roof repairs.

The team piloted the methodology in Chicago, Illinois, and Houston, Texas—two large cities with distinct energy and regulatory contexts, climate and weather risks, and housing stocks.

2) assess the solar readiness of these neighborhoods by quantifying the number of residences ready for solar installation now and residences that would require roof upgrades first.

1) identifying neighborhoods with high energy burdens, low income levels, and high shares of Black and Latina/o homeowners that would most benefit from solar installations

The Solar Opportunity Index is a methodology to help local actors target programs and maximize climate and economic co-benefits, through 2 steps:

Where Can Solar Investments Reduce Energy Burdens? Rooftop solar offers households an opportunity to bring down energy costs and improve quality of life, but not all communities are well-positioned to act on …

As more communities are wrestling with energy affordability, new research from colleagues Anne Junod, @oriyacohen.bsky.social and Kameron Lloyd helps identify where solar investments reduce energy burdens www.urban.org/research/pub...

What other state and local examples are worth lifting up for resilience and efficiency wins?

Cross-sector partnership, robust incentives, and clear communication made it possible, while protecting flexibility and choice for those rebuilding

70% of eligible households have participated in the voluntary program to date

Rebuilding Better after the Marshall Fire This case study describes the Rebuilding Better program and key lessons learned by recovery officials about its design and implementation.

New research from my colleagues @andrewrumbach.bsky.social and Kameron Lloyd explores *how* to rebuild with attention to energy efficiency, resilience and affordability, by looking closely at the Rebuilding Better program following the devastating Marshall Fire in 2021 www.urban.org/research/pub...

Appreciate y'all sharing with your networks, unfortunately due to capacity I’m unable to respond to individual questions about the position.

📌 Learn more about our ongoing initiatives :
Urban Institute Climate and Communities program www.urban.org/expertise/cl...

Ideal candidates are:
- Strong quantitative and/or qualitative research and writing skills
- Curious about policy and passionate about climate and environmental justice
- Looking for a collaborative, mission-driven environment
- Willing to relocate to Washington, DC (hybrid)

What you’ll work on:
- Innovative projects that help communities across the U.S. prepare for and recover from climate impacts
- Research that informs local, state, and federal policy decisions

This role is perfect for an impact-oriented, early career professional interested in contributing to policy research, program evaluations, and technical assistance focused on #climate,#disasters, and #communityresilience.

🚨Hiring alert
Our team at Urban Institute is #hiring a Research Assistant to join in Spring/Summer 2026!
urban.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Urban-...

Built environment disparities are amplified during extreme weather recovery - Nature Higher-income neighbourhoods rebuild and improve after disasters while lower-income areas do not return to pre-disaster conditions.

Climate injustice:

“…in the aftermath of extreme weather events, lower-income neighbourhoods are less likely to rebuild and do not return to their pre-disaster state, whereas higher-income areas rebuild and tend to improve compared with their pre-disaster state…”

Zillow’s climate risk reversal looks like a setback. It’s really a wake‑up call. When private models sow confusion, it’s a flashing warning sign that Washington needs to fix federal flood maps,

Zillow’s climate score rollback is a wake-up call: build open, future‑conditions federal flood maps -- gold‑standard, trustworthy data for building codes, mortgages, and our future. Column today: open.substack.com/pub/susanpcr...

Interesting and some similar findings as our recent surveys in Colorado. In the US context, particularly troubling, given the attack on institutional emergency management.

FEMA's future-proofing programs are in jeopardy Over the last few years, FEMA’s BRIC program has awarded $4.5 billion worth of grants intended to help communities prepare for future disasters. But with the Trump administration eying the program for...

My @urbaninstitute.bsky.social colleague @sara-mctarnaghan.bsky.social spoke to @npr.org's Marketplace about the importance - and fate - of hazard mitigation funding:

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

The National Guard Won’t End Homelessness. Housing Resources Can. Despite a nationwide trend toward criminalizing people experiencing homelessness, decades of research show that housing resources and other supports remain the best solution to helping people exit hom...

Research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social shows that federal government's sweep of homelessness in DC & other cities is a fool's errand.

Criminalization & forced relocation:
—Are an ineffective deterrent
—Disrupt resources access
—Prolong homelessness
—Cost a lot of $

What solves homelessness? Housing.

📢JOB ALERT 📢My department at the @ausis.bsky.social is hiring a social scientist who works on disaster!! The specific focus is open so check out the job announcement below (I'm not one the committee, so this is ALL I know) #ComeWorkwithMe!
american.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/AU/job/Main-...

👏to collaborators @andrewrumbach.bsky.social @wcurrangroome.bsky.social @mitchellthorson.com

Bar chart showing FEMA hazard mitigation grants to gulf coast states since 2005.

and the evolution of hazard mitigation funding.

Line chart showing Disaster Resources from HUD and the SBA Delivered an Additional $86 Billion to gulf coast states between 2005 adn 2022

to the role of #FEMA, #HUD, and #SBA in supporting recovery

to exploring how costs will double by 2050 due to climate change