We're a Close Community...We Do Check on Each Other": A Mixed Methods Case Study on Extreme Weather Preparedness Among Older Adults in Subsidized Housing

Background and Purpose: Multiple studies in recent years have focused on older adults' disaster preparedness, and a few have examined vulnerabilities among those residing in subsidized housing. The intersection of these two vulnerable populations, however, has received limited attention despite the convergence of multiple disadvantages accrued from demographic, structural, and social factors across the life course. Older adults and individuals with disabilities in subsidized housing bear a disproportionate burden of extreme weather impacts. This research addresses a significant knowledge gap with a case study assessing extreme weather preparedness and response among older adults in subsidized housing in an urban metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. The study seeks to understand experiences and awareness of climate change and extreme weather events to identify barriers, challenges, and strategies for emergency preparedness and response among older residents. The study drew on several theoretical frameworks to define research questions, design the study, interpret results, and identify practical takeaways. Aging in the Right Place (AIRP) and cumulative disadvantage frameworks inform the motivation for the study, identifying appropriate environments for aging amid changing environmental conditions, encompassing both built and natural environments while recognizing the study context and population being impacted by cumulative disadvantage over the life course. Qualitative and quantitative results were outlined using the Theory of Planned Behavior.

Methods: This convergent mixed methods case study in one older adult focused subsidized housing property in the Midwestern United States to explore older adults’ experiences in subsidized housing regarding extreme weather preparedness and response. Survey data (N=40) and focus group discussions (N=26) were analyzed using constant-comparison analysis. Residents’ understanding of extreme weather preparedness and response was mapped onto the theory of planned behavior across the disaster and the risk management cycle.

Results: The average resident was 70.5 years old, and most respondents were female (78%). A third of the respondents in the building reported fair or poor health, and over half (53%) did not drive or have access to a car. Most (73%) had experienced extreme weather events, with snow/ice storms and hurricanes being most common and extreme heat the most recent. Nearly 70% reported having experienced power outages; the average outage lasted a week, and 40% did not have an evacuation plan. Being proactive, using common sense, and a preponderance of individual and mutual responsibility for preparedness were noted among survey and focus group participants. Emergency preparedness was identified by residents as vital, especially for isolated or disabled individuals. The built environment, information sources, and social connections influenced attitudes about and actions related to preparing and responding to extreme weather.

Conclusion and Implications: This study begins to address the gap in scientific knowledge on disaster preparedness and response focused on older adults in subsidized housing. With more frequent extreme weather events and the growing older adult population, building local, community-informed evidence related to effective interventions to support the health and well-being of accumulatively disadvantaged older residents is paramount. Findings are critical for the co-development of community-informed disaster preparedness plans, especially within low-income housing communities.