 States experienced 25 floods, storms, droughts, heat waves, and wildfires that each caused at least $1 billion in damages. Combined these extreme weather events were responsible for 1,107 fatalities and up to $188 billion in economic damages. This adds up to $400 per household per year.”
In each of these disasters elders suffered greatly. The important question to ask ourselves now is if there are better ways to plan, which will enable us to be prepared for what our country will be facing with the aging of our population and need to better adapt to climate change?
Sustainable by Design
Building construction activities account for 60% of the raw materials (natural resources) used in the entire U.S. economy, with food and fuel making up the other 40%. Each year, nearly 170 million tons of building construction, renovation, and demolition wastes account for nearly 60% of the nation’s non-industrial, non-hazardous solid waste generation. Furthermore, 20% of all energy used in the U.S is from residential buildings. The good news is that we can take steps to reduce our housing ecological footprint by reducing our energy use and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. We can also reduce our water use and better manage our water resources.
Between 1950 and 2000, the U.S. population nearly doubled and during that same period, demand for water more than tripled. Household members use more water than occupants of other types of buildings. Simple strategies such as upgrading faucets and fixtures as well as changing landscaping and maintenance routines can reduce and preserve our water resources. There are many opportunities to incorporate green practices into building and construction— from the materials used to water and energy conservation—which if incorporated during initial building construction, in addition to the inclusion of visitability features, will result in energy-efficient, elder-friendly homes. Knowing these needs and realities ahead of time and addressing them at the planning and implementation phases will make durable, resilient structures for the young and the old that are beneficial to the environment.
Environmentally preferred materials and other information on being a green builder can be found on EPA’s green homes website at http://www.epa.gov/greenhomes/overview.htm
Public Policy and Climate Change Resilience
A National Resources Defense Council released a report this May entitled, “Who Pays for Climate Change? U.S. Taxpayers Outspend Private Insurers Three-to-One to Cover Disruption Costs.” According to the report, “When federal spending on last year’s droughts, storms, floods, and forest fires are added up, the U.S. Climate Disruption Budget was nearly $100 billion, equivalent to 16% of total non-defense discretionary spending in the federal budget—larger than any official spending category.”  The report also highlights the shift from private insurers to taxpayers, which began when insurance companies incurred a $72-billion bill after Hurricane Katrina, and it has continued to increase.
Public Policy and Visitability
Since 1999, 14 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted some form of public policy mandating or encouraging visitability, basic home access, and basic home design or universal access—often taking the form of a voluntary tax credit or mandatory requirement if public funds are used for constructing housing or rental units. Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, and Virginia introduced bills this year that are pending in respective legislatures.
Pima County, Arizona, embraced visitability early on as part of an Inclusive Home Design Ordinance in 2002. St. Louis County, Missouri adopted an ordinance the following year. At the municipal level, a number of communities have adopted ordinances that tied public funds to visitability requirements, including San Antonio, Texas and Naperville, Ilinois.
In June 2005, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution entitled Visitability Opportunities for People with Disabilities. At that time, a number of municipalities and three states had adopted visitability s