on Nov 09, 2015
Financing Strategies for “Disaster Resiliency”
HR&A Senior Analyst, Theresa Cassano participated in a panel discussion entitled “Trending Topic Workshop: Disaster Resiliency” on Friday, November 6th hosted by the Council for Development Agencies. Over the past decade, extreme weather events have caused major catastrophes to cities large and small. From vulnerable energy grids to aging infrastructure, communities are susceptible to disasters in multiple ways, and the aftermath of the clean-up and redevelopment can affect a region for years. Theresa provided valuable insight as the panel explored financing programs and mechanisms for disaster resiliency, partnerships and collaborative efforts and identified financing solutions, and lessons learned from communities that are in the rebuilding process.
As a key member of HR&A’s resiliency and housing practices, Theresa drew upon her experience working on behalf of The Rockefeller Foundation where she was an integral part of the program team that implemented a Capacity Building Initiative to support the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s National Disaster Resilience Competition. Theresa assisted in the management of direct technical assistance to aid applicants in development of strategy and project proposals and supported the delivery of seven resilience academies across the county.
HR&A works with public, private, and nonprofit leaders to address physical, social, and economic resiliency with a focus on implementable solutions. HR&A Advisors has extensive experience in resiliency planning, including leadership of the planning process in eight NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program communities on behalf of New York State, and through participation in the innovative HUD Rebuild by Design Competition. We have provided key economic framework guidance for resiliency efforts and a public-private approach to implementation that draws on project value for funding. In the months and years ahead, HR&A is committed to working with partners across all sectors to learn from our common experiences and to design and implement strategies that promote resiliency in urban places over the long-term.