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PARADISE Two years out from tragedy, the reality of obstacles to rebuilding after wildfire is all too clear driving through the town of Paradise.

Where surviving homes still stand, lot after empty lot surrounds them. Where new homes rise again, with hammers and saws heard through the trees, just down the street stands a trailer with few belongings in sight. Inequality that dogged Paradise before the fire is stark bare to the eye as a second winter after the fire closes in.

A countywide report which finally arrived the first week of September pulled no punches scrutinizing the gap in housing for all in Butte County, and the work needed if the town is serious about addressing the overwhelming need for cheaper housing.

There is certainly significant activity for bringing back traditional single family homes. Disaster Recovery Director Katie Simmons said for single family homes, 1,306 permits have been received, and 859 are to be built traditionally, with over 400 manufactured homes. There are 1,168 applications issued with 426 homes either rebuilt or on the way with certificates of occupancy issued.

The towns staff have also been quick to point out multiple outside offers of interest in buying up lots to rebuild and see. Community Development Director Susan Hartman said Thursday its common for companies to buy parcels of between 50 to 100 lots with the plan to build a new home and sell it. And the town does not keep track of how many contracts are for owner occupancy (often a former resident rebuild) or for this future development and sale by an outside company.

Residents who feel pushed out have said they know why the interest is so high. Land is cheap, and money can be made from those who have it and can afford the insurance.

But for those who lost everything and cant get it back, or still cannot make enough to have a hope to stay, the lack of less expensive housing is leading to desperation. Particularly as the economy reels from the pandemics losses, many cannot see room for growth towards a home of their own on the ridge. Those in trailers still tend to be low-income, previous renters or they may be the elderly with health issues, according to Chico State Passages Connections Program Director Shannon Simmons.

We need to be prioritizing low income housing in Chico specifically, she said, to address the increased vulnerability of people with low and fixed income like seniors.

For people on fixed income who have Social Security or disability or minimal retirement, it is literally impossible to even rent in this area, Simmons said. She added for the elderly poor, it can be a choice between living in a permanent home or paying for medication and food. These are some of the towns population still living in trailers, without the funds to recreate the home they had.

The real gap is in affordable multifamily housing or any new multifamily housing at all. There were 265 applications received as of Tuesday, with 216 multifamily unit permits issued and 70 units rebuilt with occupancy. These include the Community Housing Improvement Programs Paradise Community Village, and those rebuilds proposed by a number of other developers totaling 200 units in multifamily projects.

But Hartman said she hasnt had any meetings in the last six months with developers for new multifamily projects.

There are some mobile home parks under reconstruction, most of which were at capacity before the fire, Hartman said. At least half a dozen are working on septic and other underground utility repairs. This could bring some more options to those living in trailers needing a place to stay, but no long term solutions for those needing permanent housing.

The town points to coming grant funding as possible aid for those who cant afford to rebuild or may be forced to move. Simmons said in 2021, the town is receiving grant funds to help improve the building of affordable units. A total of $55 million is to be allocated to the town for use getting multifamily unit projects moving, prioritizing smaller density projects of up to four units.

A six-year pool for owner occupied reconstruction totaling $205 million opens in 2021 for those impacted by federally declared disaster. Permits given to those who are in temporary living situations or most heavily, for those rebuilding a single home with low to middle income below 80% of area median income, who could receive up to $200,000.

Its really for funding unmet needs, looking at those who might have a gap in reconstruction and permanent housing, Simmons said. They identified 60% (of survivors) were uninsured.

We know that most folks living in temporary housing are very interested in rebuilding but many are experiencing financial or time barriers.

The town does currently administer owner occupied reconstruction grant funds, at $25 million total for those who owned property prior to the Camp Fire. There are 88 applicants already with just under 100 interested who havent applied. The pool can assist up to 150 households.

And there are other grants available, like the Rebuild Paradise Foundation using septic grants available to offset permit fees for those who need to pay for their septic restoration to rebuild.

But, Until we start seeing PG&E payouts, we just dont really know how much those are going to amount to, Simmons said, which makes it hard for residents to decide whether funds from those claims will be enough to rebuild.

Hartman said the main next move for community development will not take place until the end of 2021, when the hope is to update the General Plan. using the sewer and traffic circulation studies going on throughout the first half of the year. This update will be vital to even know where to place new housing developments, she said.

Whats the reason why higher density, more affordable housing models cannot move forward more quickly?

Public Works Director Mark Mattox said the towns sewer infrastructure must come first. Development of multifamily housing in particular will not start in earnest until decisions are made on the sewer.

Mattox estimates that once the town commits to a long term option for managing its water, if environmental review of the proposed sewer can begin in December it will take 18 months. So the soonest pipes could be in the ground, allowing for higher density projects like multifamily housing, would be three to five years.

We may not hear from these developers for another year until we have a completed environmental impact report and funding for construction, which would be over $100 million, Mattox added.

Due to the need for this infrastructure to come first, There will continue to be uncertainty in the towns ability to create robust multifamily housing solutions, he added. These are not new issues to the town since before the fire, the lack of a sewer also impeded the ability to create higher density, cheaper housing options.

While the grants are there for multifamily housing, the infrastructure to support it is necessary, Mattox said. The need for a sewer is our reality.

A major town meeting will take place Tuesday to consider the fork in the road decision whether to look at creating a local waste water plant or using a regional extension to the Chico water plant, Mattox said. The town will then have another meeting Dec. 8 to discuss how to move forward on the sewer once everyone has more time to look at all information presented.

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Housing disparity on the ridge persists, future outlook is positive - Chico Enterprise-Record

Short of a few more final battleground state vote counts to drop and a victory speech, it looks like we can start calling Joe Biden the president-elect. The good news is Biden has a great plan for federal action on housing. Enacting Biden-Harris housing policy priorities would improve security for millions of Americans and help reverse the crippling shortage of homes afflicting communities throughout the US.

The bad news is a Republican-controlled Senate will block most, if not all of it.

The Senatean institution inherently designed to allow minority rulehas a long history of obstruction. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell blockaded almost all of President Barack Obamas agenda when given the chance. The Senate under his leadership rendered hundreds of House proposals DOA, including numerous housing measures. Not to mention stalling pandemic stimulus that would keep Americans securely in their homes as the economic and health crisis deepens.

With the Senate in Republican hands, unless McConnell unexpectedly stops being McConnell and allows bipartisan compromise, Bidens most ambitious housing proposals look destined for demise.

Georgias two Senate runoff elections in January offer an opportunity for Democrats to take back the Senate, but chances are slim. In all likelihood, Senate-driven gridlock will stymie federal progressnot only on housing policy, but also on other paramount issues such as climate changeat least until Democrats get their next shot at the Senate in 2022. Elections matter.

As for near-term action on housing, emergency rental assistance is still a possibility. Contradicting his pre-election position, McConnell now says hell prioritize a COVID stimulus package that includes aid to states when Congress reconvenes next week. No guarantees rental assistance will end up in the bill, but its been a consistent priority for Democrats.

Also, two modest bills that would require cities to account for their needless restrictions on homebuildingthe YIMBY Act and the Build More Housing Near Transit Actstill have a shot at passing (see my take on those proposals).

For at least a decade now, Americans have been grappling with a worsening housing crisis. In some places, stagnant incomes are to blame. In other places awash in high-paying jobs but hamstrung with restrictions on new housing, competition prices out even middle class families.

The federal government has unmatched potential to take on these two core problems. The solution rests on two policy pillars: (1) expand financial support for those who cant afford housing, and (2) impel cities to loosen their rules and allow more homes. Joe Bidens housing plan incorporates both, synthesizing many proposals put forth by his more left-leaning presidential primary challengers. Its a really good plan!

In stark contrast, Trump never had any kind of coherent housing strategy, and spent the final months of his campaign tweeting that low-income housing would destroy suburbiaa dog whistle aimed at undermining both policy pillars.

Here are the five essential elements of Bidens housing plan:

The $20 billion program currently provides vouchers for two million low-income households to help them pay rent, but funding only covers about a fourth of those that qualify. Biden calls for fully funding Section 8 so that everyone eligible gets the assistance they need to pay their rent for a safe home.

(Trump proposed cutting Section 8 funding by 20 percent, raising the tenants rent payment portion from 30 to 35 percent, and adding work requirements for recipients.)

Bidens plan includes renter tax credit similar to the one proposed in Vice President-elect Kamala Harris 2018 Rent Relief Act. With a price tag of $5 billion, its designed to reduce rent and utilities to 30 percent of income for low-income individuals and families who may make too much money to qualify for a Section 8 voucher but still struggle to pay their rent.

The Biden plan would:

(Trumps 2021 budget request proposed to slash HUDs budget by 15 percent, cut public housing operation funds by 21 percent, and eliminate both the Housing Trust Fund and CDBGs.)

Bidens plan commits to:

Modeling on Senator Cory Bookers HOME Act of 2019, the Biden plan would make CDBGs and Transportation Block Grants contingent on cities adopting strategies to get rid of exclusionary zoning laws that stymie construction of new homes. It would also add such reforms as a condition for other funding programs where possible, and offer local planning grants to support the necessary policy changes.

The plan explicitly calls out how overly restrictive zoning laws keep people of color and low-income families out of certain communities, limit affordable housing options, and contribute to urban sprawl and climate pollution.

(In 2019, Trump signed an executive order establishing a council to eliminate federal, state and local barriers that are holding back affordable housing development. But his subsequent tweets and speeches blatantly contradict that intent.)

The spending required for the first three plan actions described above all but rules out passage by a Republican-controlled Senate. And Republican ideology would likely preclude votes for the fourth.

As demonstrated by bipartisan support for the YIMBY Act, some Republicans are working to pass action on housing similar to the fifth element of Bidens plan noted above. However, members on both sides of the aisle are likely to lose their stomach for bills that push too far on federal control over local governments. All told, the most impactful elements of Bidens housing plan are pretty much dead in the water without Democrats in control of the Senate (and House).

If and when Democrats do take back the Senate, another big hurdle remains. The filibuster ensures that most, if not all, of Bidens major housing proposals would need 60 voteshighly improbable under the likely scenario of a slim Democrat majority. To escape that dysfunction, a Democratic majority could end minority rule and eliminate the filibuster once and for all.

New multi-family homes. Photo: Lawcain, Dreamstime.com

With the filibuster still in place, there is a workaround that could enable passage of parts of Bidens plan: budget reconciliation. Increased funding for existing programs can be passed as part of a budget reconciliation bill thats immune to filibuster and therefore only requires a simple majority vote. One of Bidens key proposalsthe plan to quadruple Section 8 fundingis fair game through reconciliation, and likewise boosting the Housing Trust Fund.

To finish my thought experiment, lets assume that after the 2022 election Democrats control the Senate and abolish the filibuster. That would open the door to taking Bidens good ideas for federal action on housing reform even further, on both policy pillars(1) funds for subsidy and (2) leverage for local zoning reform.

On the first pillar, Bidens intention to expand Section 8 vouchers is a good start but falls short because it doesnt make Section 8 a true, permanent entitlement. That means Congress must appropriate new funding every budget cycle, repeatedly putting the program at political risk.

More importantly, it also means that everyone who needs aid isnt necessarily coveredthe massive unemployment caused by the pandemic is a good example of how that could happen. As my colleague Michael Andersen has written, a critical fix for Section 8 is to make benefits an entitlement, like food stamps, automatically available to anyone whose income drops below a set level.

Another problem with Section 8 is most landlords dont accept the vouchers. That makes approved rentals hard to find, plus newly qualifying tenants have to move if their current landlord refuses Section 8. The obvious (but also politically fraught) fix is a federal mandate for universal acceptance of vouchers. Alternatively, a better long-term solution is a complete revamp to a program that gives struggling renters the flexibility and freedom of straight up cash instead of vouchers.

For the second pillar, Bidens embrace of the HOME Act is a solid first step. But its only a small one, because the HOME Act has no prescriptive teeth: cities dont have to loosen restrictions on housing to remain eligible for federal funds, they only have to demonstrate their intentions to do so someday.

To have a meaningful impact, federal laws must have the kind of teeth that spurs widespread local law changes to allow more homes. In a previous article I described the key elements, including funding types, carrots and sticks, and regulatory versus outcome-based compliance.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs A Place to Prosper Act shows one way a prescriptive policy could work. It would deny federal road funding for projects located in a city that mandates off-street parking, requires lot sizes larger than one half acre, or bans multi-unit homes or manufactured homes.

In September, the Urban Institute published a report on how the federal government can help eliminate exclusionary zoning. The authors make an important point to focus on conditioning funds that go to states, because most of the federal dollars received by local jurisdictions flow through states first.

Voters took the first necessary step for federal action on housing policy by ousting Trump. Unfortunately, as long as the Senate remains under Republican control, progress on the bold ideas in Joe Bidens housing plan are unlikely to ever see the light of day.

Any ambitious federal action is now a longer term game.

One option would be for Republicans and Democrats to find some way to compromise across party lines. Yes, the possibility seems remote today. But thats exactly what happened last year with Oregons state-wide legalization of duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes and Californias legalization of up to two cottages on any lot. Republicans, especially in rural areas, crossed party lines to support Democratic pro-housing bills because they felt someone should be allowed to add a home to their property if they want to.

The other option for action on housing is purely partisan. First, Democrats must take back the Senate under a pro-housing president like Biden. Then they must abolish the filibuster.

Congress can then pass the kind of bold legislation the country needs on two fronts: cash assistance for people who need help to pay the rent, and federal guidance to ensure that citiesallow enough homes of all shapes and sizes for us all, no matter our race, income, or where we live.

More:
Biden-Harris Win Opens Path to Federal Action on Housing - Sightline Institute

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Bryan Miller with ARC Construction frames up what will be a base for a steel column as construction of a new 10,000-square-foot aircraft hanger is underway at the Henderson City-County Airport Thursday, November 5, 2020.(Photo: MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER)

The start of construction on a 10,000-square-foot hangar at the Henderson City-County Airport was the biggest new building project here in October.

The county codes office issued a permit valued at $667,000 for a 100-by-100-foot hangar that will replace a nearly 60-year-old hangar of the same size.

Airport manager Allen Bennett said a structural engineer had conducted a detailed analysis of the old hangar and determined that it was at or near the end of its useful life.

That left everybody pretty uncomfortable, including the airports insurance company and tenants who rented hangar space, Bennett said.

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The airport secured a $350,000 state grant that is paying for about half of the hangar project. Low bidder ARC Construction Co. of Evansville is the general contractor for the project. Completion is expected in about two months, weather permitting.

The hangar, which will be capable of storing roughly 15 to 20 aircraft, depending on their size, will be one of four large hangars owned by the airport in addition to several privately owned corporate hangars, Bennett said.

The old hangar was disassembled in the spring and will be reassembled at the county Road Department by the recycling center for storing recyclables so that the shed currently being used for that purpose can once again be used for parking Road Department heavy equipment, County Engineer Bill Hubiak said. It will be the latest in a series of projects overseen by Hubiak in which structures judged obsolete for other use have been repurposed for new uses by the county.

In other activity, the county codes office issued permits in October for three new single-family residences outside the city limits with an average construction value of $282,317 (not counting real estate and certain other expenses). The city issued no permits for single-family homes last month.

However, the city codes office issued a $260,000 permit to III C of Kentucky LLC for a multi-family residence at 516 S. Main St. the second of three that are planned there as part of the redevelopment of a former commercial laundry property.

So far this year, the city has issued permits for 14 new single-family homes (with an average construction value of $128,293) while the county has issued permits for 24 new homes (averaging $278,759).

That brings the total number of housing starts so far this year to 38, up from 29 during the same period last year.

The construction value of building permits issued last month by the city totaled $666,423 while county permits totaled $1.6 million for a monthly total of $2.3 million, compared with $3.2 million in October 2019.

The overall value of construction activity authorized by city and county building permits has totaled $42.0 million so far this year, up from $38.8 million during the same period last year.

Two projects account for more than half of all construction value here so far this year: the $18 million permit for construction of the new Jefferson Elementary School behind South Middle School and a $5.3 million permit for the first phase of construction of the Homeplace of Henderson assisted living complex along Green River Road.

Here are the building permits issued here last month:

Demolition, single-family residence: Habitat for Humanity, 715 N. Adams St., $4,000.

Multi-family new construction: III C of Kentucky LLC, 516 S. Main St., $260,000.

Single-family accessory structure: Demetris Marigny, 1412 Washington St., $1,373; Eric Fulkerson, 226 N. Kerry Lane, $45,000; Michael P. Shaw, 10 Center Circle, $6,000; Johnna and Nathan A. Herron, 933 Frontier Dr., $5,000; Barry Sheffer, 716 Mill St., $1,400; and Tony R. II and Tredia S. Cagle, 204 Hallway, $23,500.

Single-family additions: Beth McCormack, 208 Hancock St., $150,000; Judith Matheney, 969 Oakcrest Dr., $13,000; and Baxter E. and Sharon S. Stanton, 1128 N. Main St., $100,000.

Signs: Everybody Fitness, 1321 Second St., $2,500; Americas Car Mart, 2214 U.S. 41-North, $5,000; Tikay Caribbean, 802 Second St., $650; Universal Hospitality LLC, 2820 U.S. 41-North, $15,000; and Ohio Valley National Bank, 1720 Second St., $34,000.

City total: $666,423.

New residences: Michael Rhea, 9395 U.S. 60-East, $262,400; Casey and Traci Thomas, 3503 A.C. Walker Road, $358,550; and Tim and Angie Jackson, 12753 U.S. 41-Alternate, $226,000.

Room additions: Donna Nation, 6304 Cairo-Dixie Road, $42,000; Tim Nunn Sr., 1845 Busby Station Road, $40,000; and Douglas Sword, 10569 U.S. 416, $6,700.

Commercial: Henderson City-County Airport, 2154 Kentucky 136-West, $667,000.

Manufactured homes: Jessica Watson, 5515 Kentucky 416, $18,000; and David Wicker, 3378 Corydon D Fellows Road, $152,000.

Garages/utility buildings: Erin McKee, 9288 Martin-Martin Road, $4,000; Brad Greenwell, 21906 Kentucky 811, $15,000; Greg Fridy, 14171 U.S. 41-South, $15,000; Matt Willhite, 15059 Cheatham-Toy Road, $49,200; and Gary Robinson, 6285 Doubletree Dr., $28,000.

County total: $1,621,450

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New hangar at airport tops new construction in Henderson County - The Gleaner

FREEHOLD, NJ, Nov. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UMH Properties, Inc. (NYSE:UMH) reported Total Income for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 of $43.1 million as compared to $37.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, representing an increase of 16%. Net Loss Attributable to Common Shareholders amounted to $12.8 million or $0.31 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as compared to Net Income of $5.6 million or $0.14 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. This decrease was due to the change in fair value of our marketable securities. During the quarter, the securities portfolio experienced an unrealized loss of $6.7 million as compared to an unrealized gain of $9.2 million in the prior year period. In addition, the Company called for redemption of all 3.8 million issued and outstanding shares of its 8.0% Series B Preferred Stock and recognized a preferred share redemption charge of $2.9 million related to the original issuance costs.

Funds from Operations Attributable to Common Shareholders (FFO), was $4.5 million or $0.11 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as compared to $5.8 million or $0.14 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. This decrease in FFO is due to the redemption charge of $2.9 million on the Series B Preferred Stock. Normalized Funds from Operations Attributable to Common Shareholders (Normalized FFO), was $7.4 million or $0.18 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as compared to $6.0 million or $0.15 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2019.

A summary of significant financial information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 is as follows (in thousands except per share amounts):

$

(0.31

)

$

0.14

$

(1.10

)

$

0.15

A summary of significant balance sheet information as of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 is as follows (in thousands):

Samuel A. Landy, President and CEO, commented on the results of the third quarter of 2020.

We are pleased to announce another solid quarter of operating results. During the quarter, we:

Mr. Landy further stated, UMH continues to achieve excellent results despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Normalized FFO for the quarter increased to $0.18 per share representing an increase of 20% over the prior year period.

This FFO growth was driven by solid fundamental performance in our core business. Same property occupancy increased 320 basis points to 86.9%. Year over year, we added almost 700 rental homes to our same property portfolio, increasing rental home occupancy to 95.4%. Our improved occupancy paired with reduced expenses resulted in same property NOI growth of 13%. This is the fourth quarter in a row that we have reported double digit same property NOI growth.

Our sales results also contributed to our FFO growth. Sales for the quarter were up 54% generating a net profit of $640,000 for the quarter. We continue to experience pent up sales demand.

UMH also had a busy quarter on the acquisition front. During the quarter, we closed on the acquisition of two communities containing 310 homesites, with a weighted average occupancy rate of 64%, for approximately $7.8 million. These communities are located in markets where we have experienced excellent demand for both sales and rental units. We anticipate strong returns at these value-add communities as we are able to execute on our long-term business plan.

Most importantly, we pioneered two loan products which will allow us to reduce our cost of capital going forward. We closed on the financing of some of our free and clear communities generating proceeds of $106 million at an interest rate of 2.62%. These communities did not previously qualify for GSE financing because of their rental home percentages. The access to low cost debt on properties with significant percentages of rental homes solidifies our business plan. Subsequent to quarter end, we used a portion of this capital to redeem our $95 million of Series B 8% Preferred stock. This redemption will generate over $5 million, or approximately $0.12 per share, of additional FFO annually.

We also entered into a line of credit utilizing our rental homes and the income derived from them as collateral. The rate on this line is WSJ prime + 25 basis points. Access to low cost debt on rental homes previously did not exist.

UMH continues to make strides in all aspects of our business plan. We are pleased that we covered our $0.18 dividend purely on our current operations. The successes that we have had on the financing front will further improve our FFO metrics in 2021.

UMH Properties, Inc. will host its Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results Webcast and Conference Callon Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.Senior management will discuss the results, current market conditions and future outlook on the call.

The Companys 2020 third quarter financial results being released herein will be available on the Companys website at http://www.umh.reit in the Financial Information and Filings section.

To participate in thewebcast,select the microphone icon found on the homepagewww.umh.reitto access the call.Interested parties can also participate via conference callby calling toll free 877-513-1898 (domestically) or 412-902-4147 (internationally).

The replay of the conference call will be available at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, November 5, 2020. It will be available until February 1, 2021 and can be accessed by dialing toll free 877-344-7529 (domestically) and 412-317-0088 (internationally) and entering the passcode 10147928. A transcript of the call and the webcast replay will be available at the Company's website,www.umh.reit.

UMH Properties, Inc., which was organized in 1968, is a public equity REIT that owns and operates 124 manufactured home communities containing approximately 23,400 developed homesites. These communities are located in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan and Maryland. In addition, the Company owns a portfolio of REIT securities.

Certain statements included in this press release which are not historical facts may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements are based on the Companys current expectations and involve various risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, the Company can provide no assurance those expectations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from expectations are contained in the Companys annual report on Form 10-K and described from time to time in the Companys other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Note:

(1) Non-GAAP Information: We assess and measure our overall operating results based upon an industry performance measure referred to as Funds from Operations Attributable to Common Shareholders (FFO), which management believes is a useful indicator of our operating performance. FFO is used by industry analysts and investors as a supplemental operating performance measure of a REIT. FFO, as defined by The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), represents net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders, as defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP), excluding extraordinary items, as defined under U.S. GAAP, gains or losses from sales of previously depreciated real estate assets, impairment charges related to depreciable real estate assets, and the change in the fair value of marketable securities plus certain non-cash items such as real estate asset depreciation and amortization. Included in the NAREIT FFO White Paper - 2018 Restatement, is an option pertaining to assets incidental to our main business in the calculation of NAREIT FFO to make an election to include or exclude gains and losses on the sale of these assets, such as marketable equity securities and include or exclude mark-to-market changes in the value recognized on these marketable equity securities.In conjunction with the adoption of the FFO White Paper - 2018 Restatement, for all periods presented, we have elected to exclude the change in the fair value of marketable securities from our FFO calculation.Prior to the adoption of the FFO White Paper 2018 Restatement, we utilized Core Funds from Operations (Core FFO), which we defined as FFO, excluding the change in the fair value of marketable securities. NAREIT created FFO as a non-U.S. GAAP supplemental measure of REIT operating performance. We define Normalized Funds from Operations Attributable to Common Shareholders (Normalized FFO), as FFO, excluding gains and losses realized on marketable securities investments and certain one-time charges. FFO and Normalized FFO should be considered as supplemental measures of operating performance used by REITs. FFO and Normalized FFO exclude historical cost depreciation as an expense and may facilitate the comparison of REITs which have a different cost basis. However, other REITs may use different methodologies to calculate FFO and Normalized FFO and, accordingly, our FFO and Normalized FFO may not be comparable to all other REITs. The items excluded from FFO and Normalized FFO are significant components in understanding the Companys financial performance.

FFO and Normalized FFO (i) do not represent Cash Flow from Operations as defined by U.S. GAAP; (ii) should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss) as a measure of operating performance or to cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities; and (iii) are not alternatives to cash flow as a measure of liquidity.

The reconciliation of the Companys U.S. GAAP net loss to the Companys FFO and Normalized FFO for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 are calculated as follows (in thousands except footnotes):

The diluted weighted shares outstanding used in the calculation of FFO per Diluted Common Share and Normalized FFO per Diluted Common Share were 41.8 million and 41.6 million shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and 40.8 million and 39.8 million shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. Common stock equivalents resulting from stock options in the amount of 426,000 and 348,000 shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and 240,000 and 238,000 shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively, are included in the diluted weighted shares outstanding. Common stock equivalents for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 were excluded from the computation of the Diluted Net Income (Loss) per Share as their effect would be anti-dilutive.

The following are the cash flows provided (used) by operating, investing and financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):

(2) Represents change in unrealized gain (loss) in marketable securities which is included in the Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss). (Increase) Decrease in Fair Value of Marketable Securities, if any, were previously recorded in Core FFO.

(3) Consists of utility billing dispute over a prior 10-year period ($376,000), emergency windstorm tree removal expenses in two adjacent communities ($126,000) and costs associated with acquisitions not completed ($80,00) in 2019.

# # # #

Contact: Nelli Madden732-577-9997UMH PROPERTIES, INC.Juniper Business Plaza3499 Route 9 North, Suite 3-CFreehold, NJ 07728(732) 577-9997Fax: (732) 577-9980

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UMH PROPERTIES, INC. REPORTS RESULTS FOR THE THIRD QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 - GlobeNewswire

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Latest technological advancement in the Prefabricated Construction market Studying pricing analysis and market strategies trailed by the market players to enhance global Prefabricated Construction market growth Regional development status off the Prefabricated Construction market and the impact of COVID-19 in different regions Detailing of the supply-demand chain, market valuation, drivers, and more

The Prefabricated Construction market report provides not only the clients but also all the other entrepreneurs with the market statistics, applications, product type, end-users, topological growth, market funds, and others in a diamond-like transparent format. The topological bifurcation North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) is important in order to study the overall market growth and development. The current report beams some light on the futuristic scopes and the alterations needed in the industrial and government strategy for the benefit of the global market.

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An Overview About the Table of Contents:

Global Prefabricated Construction Market Overview Target Audience for the Prefabricated Construction Market Economic Impact on the Prefabricated Construction Market Global Prefabricated Construction Market Forecast Business Competition by Manufacturers Production, Revenue (Value) by Region Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type Market Analysis by Application Cost Analysis Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy, and Downstream Buyers Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders Market Effect Factors Analysis

This informative report provides some of the vital details about the Prefabricated Construction market regarding segmentation {Modular Construction, Manufactured Homes, Others}; {Residential, Commercial, Others} such as application in various sectors, product type bifurcations, supply and demand statistics, and growth factors, which are commonly required for the potential positive growth and development.

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What are the major trends that are constantly influencing the growth of the Prefabricated Construction market? Which are the prominent regions that offer immense prospects for players in the Prefabricated Construction market? What are the business strategies adopted by key players to sustain in the global Prefabricated Construction market? What is the expected size and growth rate of the global Prefabricated Construction market during the forecast period? What are the factors impacting the growth of the global Prefabricated Construction market? What are the challenges and threats faced by key players in the Prefabricated Construction market?

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Global Prefabricated Construction Market 2020 COVID-19 Updated Analysis By Product (Modular Construction, Manufactured Homes, Others); By Application...

NEW MEXICO(KRQE) Friday, November 6, marks the day the New Mexico Environment Department said it would start ordering businesses to shut down for two weeks if theyve had four or more rapid responses over the last 14 days.

So far, the state Department of Health has ordered three businesses to close for two weeks. The states Rapid Response Watchlist is updated every day to show people which workplaces have had repeated issues with COVID-19.

These businesses have will all be very aware that weve been there conducting rapid responses, so I dont think it should come as too much of a surprise, Maddy Hayden, with the New Mexico Environment Department, said last week.

Hayden warned a handful of businesses were at risk of being forced to shut down for two weeks. This week, thats happening.

The New Mexico Department of Health sent Notice of Closure letters this week to at least three businesses, including the Stampede Meat facility in Doa Ana County, Chaparral Materials in Santa Fe, and Deming Manufactured Homes, LLC, in Deming.

The Stampede Meat facility shows 10 rapid responses in the last two weeks. The Chaparral and Deming establishments each show four rapid responses.

A rapid response is initiated by the state once a business reports a positive COVID-19 case in the workplace.

These crackdowns, these evidence-based strategies are only as good as the folks o practice the evidence, said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, during a November 5 news conference. And if theyre not gonna do that, then it just, it isnt gonna work. Its true. Were demonstrating its true by the crisis that were currently in.

The governor warned there could be updates to the public health order soon if COVID-19 trends dont improve. I think New Mexicans know that Im prepared to make even the most difficult decisions that are about saving lives, said Gov. Lujan Grisham.

KRQE News 13 checked some of the businesses on the states watchlist on Friday. Trader Joes, which has four rapid responses in the last two weeks, was strictly limiting customers with a line outside the door and a sign saying masks are required.

After five rapid responses, the Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza place on Coors now has a sign on the door, saying, We are temporarily closed for deep cleaning to provide increased protection for our guests and our staff. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to seeing you soon!

A handful of Walmarts in Albuquerque remain on the list and appeared to have a steady stream of customers.

KRQE News 13 also noticed some businesses appear to be taking it upon themselves to close for cleaning or restrict indoor dining. The Golden Pride on Lomas for example was recently taken off the states watchlist and is currently open for drive-thru only.

Hayden said the NMED is consulting with the DOH to determine if more businesses meet the criteria for closures. If so, the state will hand-deliver those closure notices to businesses.

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Businesses on COVID-19 Watchlist ordered to close for two weeks - KRQE News 13

Neurology clinic medical assistant Amy Fisk now has a place to call home after sleeping in parking lots and hotels since her Phoenix townhouse apartment burned down on Sept. 8 in the Almeda fire.

A week after the fire, Providence jumped into action to start making two temporary trailer parks on empty land it owns near to the Providence Central Point Medical Plaza and Providence Medford Medical Center.

Providences charitable foundations bought new fifth-wheel trailers and S&B Construction built the temporary trailer parks. Volunteers helped stock them with supplies. The health systems displaced employees started moving into the trailers on Oct. 12.

The trailers are being served with temporary utilities for now, but Providence expects utility infrastructure will be finished in a few weeks.

Fisk, her fiance Jeff Prendergast, her daughter Mackenzie Roman and their two dogs and a cat are in their third week of living in a trailer next to the Central Point clinic.

Providence has been so amazing and supportive. The trailer has bedding, towels, pots, pans and utensils, Fisk said.

It even has high thread-count sheets. Theyre so soft, Prendergast added.

Journey Ruiz, 8, left, and Anthony Nabor, 10, who lost their home to the Almeda fire, play catch at a temporary trailer park at Providence made for fire displaced workers.

Concerned for their fire-displaced workers and worried employees might have to move away due to the Rogue Valleys housing shortage, Providence and Asante both decided the best temporary housing solution was to create trailer parks.

Providence believes 28 of its workers lost their homes and estimates 13 to 14 families needed help with temporary housing, said Providence Medford Medical Center Chief Executive Chris Pizzi.

Asante has identified 79 employees who lost their homes, said Robert Begg, vice president of human resources for Asante, which operates Rogue Regional Medical Center.

As we were connecting with these folks, we knew housing was going to be a problem, he said. Housing is so short in the valley already. We want to give them an opportunity to stay here. Some people were saying, I might move and work in another part of the state because Im not finding adequate housing here. We looked for the quickest way to get housing.

Adroit Construction started building a trailer park near Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford with 32 gravel pads and utilities the week before last. The company expects to finish the six-week project by Dec. 1, Asante officials said.

Some employees who will live there have their own RVs or trailers. For the rest, Asante is buying slightly used RVs from a Grants Pass dealer.

Temporary trailer and RV parks will likely become a housing option for many as the community searches for ways to shelter people during the long cleanup and rebuilding process.

The local building community is eager to help create parks, and Jackson County expects to announce news this coming week about temporary housing help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that could include FEMA trailers.

The Almeda fire wiped out 2,482 residential structures, including houses, apartment buildings and mobile and manufactured homes. Most of the losses were in Talent and Phoenix, which had served as relatively affordable towns.

The rental vacancy rate in Jackson County already was hovering near 0% before the Almeda fire and the South Obenchain fire east of Shady Cove.

The median sales price for a house for the quarter ending Sept. 30 hit $333,900 far outstripping the buying ability of most Jackson County residents. The inventory of homes on the market has plummeted 64% since last year, according to the Rogue Valley Association of Realtors.

Searching for housing

With ashes falling from the sky, flames approaching and first responders using loudspeakers and sirens to warn people to flee, Fisk and her family barely made it out of Phoenix on roads clogged by Almeda fire evacuees.

She and her fiance slept in their Jeep in a Providence parking lot and a Walmart parking lot on the first nights while she sent her daughter to stay with her mother.

They thought they were just evacuating for a few nights and then could return home. Thats when Fisk saw a photo of their burned down apartment building on Facebook.

I was getting out of my Jeep and I saw the look on her face when she saw it on her phone, Prendergast said. It was a horrible look.

Then Providence called and paid for the family to stay in a hotel for a month. The organization is one of many, including the American Red Cross, housing people in hotels.

Fisk and Prendergast spent their time at the hotel searching the valley for an apartment.

You wake up every morning and call all the rental companies and ask if there are any new listings because the other ones all have 30 applications for them, Fisk said. You try to be first in line for any new spot that opens up.

They finally got approved for a place in Ashland and went to look at it.

It was massively overpriced. It was 400 square feet for $1,000 a month and it was filthy. I actually cried when we went and saw it, Fisk said.

Prendergast said it would have been hard to get through the recovery process living in such a depressing place.

When Providence offered the use of a new trailer, the couple jumped at the chance.

I dont know where we would be right now without Providence, Fisk said.

Where are the survivors?

Fisk and her family arent alone in their ordeal to find new housing.

Almost two months after the Almeda fire, most displaced people have yet to move into a rental or find a home to buy.

There are currently 4,222 people registered with FEMA for disaster aid. Not all displaced people have registered.

Of registered people, 2,094 are staying with family and friends; 791 are in hotels and motels; 508 are in damaged homes; 145 are homeless; 132 are in RVs and campers; 62 are living in cars; 59 are in group shelters; 29 are in tents; 19 are staying at their workplace and 12 are at a house of worship, according to estimates compiled from data from government agencies, nonprofits and other organizations helping fire survivors.

So far, an estimated 255 people have found a new temporary rental, 60 found a new permanent rental, 42 are living in a secondary residence like a vacation cabin and 14 have bought a new home.

Fisk and Prendergast said they feel they are among the lucky ones.

There are a lot more people who are less fortunate, she said. They lost loved ones and animals. We lost a lot a lot, but weve got each other.

Snug in their trailer, the family has movie nights, games nights and spends time talking about what theyve been through and supporting each other. Fisks daughter is finishing out her senior year online through the Phoenix-Talent School District.

Avid campers and hikers, theyve adjusted to living in a trailer although theyve learned to keep a close eye on their water tanks and conserve their battery power until they get connected to electricity.

They offered words of encouragement to other fire survivors.

It does get better. Day by day, it does get better. Hang in there, Prendergast said.

Pizzi, the chief executive director for Providence Medford Medical Center, said local hospitals already had trouble before the fires attracting and retaining workers because of the lack of housing and high prices in the Rogue Valley.

Providence is working with city councils and builders to advocate for more high-density, multi-family housing to serve all residents, he said.

Providence moved quickly to build the temporary trailer parks, but knows they dont represent a long-term fix to the areas housing woes, said Dr. Tom Lorish, chief executive for the Providence Southern Oregon Service Area.

There was a crisis before the wildfires and its been made much more acute. Its a good opportunity for the community to come together to make sure people have a reasonably priced, affordable place to live, he said.

Right now, the immediate task is creating temporary housing for fire survivors. But the community has to look ahead as it transitions to rebuilding Talent and Phoenix while also boosting affordable housing in all communities, Lorish said.

The real target needs to be, What are we going to have in two years? he said.

Reach Mail Tribune reporter Vickie Aldous at valdous@rosebudmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @VickieAldous.

The rest is here:
Providence foundation, Asanta spring to action to provide trailers, land for Almeda wildfire victims - OregonLive

This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results ofOperations should be read in conjunction with the Company's CondensedConsolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in Item 1 of Part 1of this Report, as well as the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the yearended December 31, 2019.LCI Industries ("LCII" and collectively with its subsidiaries, the "Company,""we," "us," or "our"), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lippert Components,Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, "Lippert Components" or "LCI"),supplies, domestically and internationally, a broad array of engineeredcomponents for the leading original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") in therecreation and transportation product markets, consisting primarily ofrecreational vehicles ("RVs") and adjacent industries, including buses; trailersused to haul boats, livestock, equipment, and other cargo; trucks; boats;trains; manufactured homes; and modular housing. The Company also suppliesengineered components to the related aftermarkets of these industries, primarilyby selling to retail dealers, wholesale distributors, and service centers.The Company has two reportable segments, the OEM Segment and the AftermarketSegment. Intersegment sales are insignificant. At September 30, 2020, theCompany operated over 90 manufacturing and distribution facilities locatedthroughout the United States and in Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, andthe United Kingdom. See Note 12 of the Notes to Condensed Consolidated FinancialStatements for further information regarding the Company's segments.The Company's OEM Segment manufactures or distributes a broad array ofengineered components for the leading OEMs of leisure and mobile transportationindustries. Approximately 61 percent of the Company's OEM Segment net sales forthe twelve months ended September 30, 2020 were of components for travel trailerand fifth-wheel RVs, including:? Steel chassis and related components ? Entry, luggage, patio, and ramp doors? Axles and suspension solutions ? Furniture and

mattresses

? Manual, electric, and hydraulic stabilizer and ? Other accessories

leveling systems

The Aftermarket Segment supplies many of these engineered components to therelated aftermarket channels of the recreation and transportation productmarkets, primarily to retail dealers, wholesale distributors, and servicecenters. The Aftermarket Segment also includes biminis, covers, buoys, fendersto the marine industry, towing products, truck accessories, and the sale ofreplacement glass and awnings to fulfill insurance claims.

IMPACT OF COVID-19

Health and Safety

The Company enacted rigorous health and safety protocols as it resumedproduction in early May. For example, the Company implemented health screeningsof team members for potential symptoms, conducts extensive and frequentdisinfecting of workspaces, implemented social distancing restrictions forproduction personnel, provided masks to team members who must be physicallypresent, and set up temporary COVID-19 testing sites for team members withsymptoms or potential exposure. These health and safety protocols remain ineffect currently.

Operations

Customers and Demand

Suppliers

Liquidity

FURRION UPDATE

North American Recreational Vehicle Industry

An RV is a vehicle designed as temporary living quarters for recreational,camping, travel or seasonal use. RVs may be motorized (motorhomes) or towable(travel trailers, fifth-wheel travel trailers, folding camping trailers andtruck campers).

Aftermarket Segment

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Consolidated Highlights

OEM Segment - Third Quarter

Net sales of the OEM Segment in the third quarter of 2020 increased $130.5million, compared to the same period of 2019. Net sales of components to OEMswere to the following markets for the three months ended September 30:(In thousands)

According to the RVIA, industry-wide wholesale unit shipments for the threemonths ended September 30 were:

Travel trailer and fifth-wheel RVs 110,100 80,600 37 %Motorhomes

Travel trailer and fifth-wheel RV $ 3,428$ 3,268 5 %Motorhome

According to the RVIA, industry-wide wholesale unit shipments for the ninemonths ended September 30, were:

Travel trailer and fifth-wheel RVs 264,900 266,400 (1) %Motorhomes

Aftermarket Segment - Third Quarter

Total Aftermarket Segment net sales $ 185,675$ 74,671 149 %

Aftermarket Segment - Year to Date

Change

Total Aftermarket Segment net sales $ 470,941$ 210,763 123 %

Income Taxes

Edgar Online, source Glimpses

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LCI INDUSTRIES : MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (form 10-Q) - marketscreener.com

Election officials are cautiously declaring victory after no reports of major cyber incidents on Election Day.

After millions of Americans voted, we have no evidence any foreign adversary was capable of preventing Americans from voting or changing vote tallies, Christopher Krebs, the director of the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said in a statement Wednesday.

But the long shadow of 2016, when the U.S. fell victim to extensive Russian interference, has those same officials on guard for potential attacks as key battleground states tally up remaining ballots.

Agencies that have worked to bolster election security over the past years are still on high alert during the vote-counting process, noting that the election is not over even if ballots have already been cast.

I think while its fantastic that yesterday was quiet, that tells you that the work is paying off. But we know the nature of the threats in the cybersecurity landscape dont go away, and you dont get to say, Oh, were good. You see the commitment and the effort and that has to continue, Election Assistance Commission Chairman Benjamin Hovland, who was nominated by President TrumpDonald John TrumpAides tried to get Trump to stop attacking McCain in hopes of clinching Arizona: report Officials warn delayed vote count could lead to flood of disinformation New Trump campaign lawsuit targets late-arriving Georgia mail ballots MORE, told The Hill on Wednesday.

Election officials at all levels of government have been hyper-focused on the security of the voting process since 2016, when the nation was caught off-guard by a sweeping and sophisticated Russian interference effort that included targeting election infrastructure in all 50 states, with Russian hackers gaining access to voter registration systems in Florida and Illinois.

While there was no evidence that any votes were changed or voters prevented from casting a ballot, the targeted efforts created renewed focus on the cybersecurity of voting infrastructure, along with the improving ties between the federal government and state and local election officials.

In the intervening years, former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson designated elections as critical infrastructure, and Trump signed into law legislation in 2018 creating CISA, now the main agency coordinating with state and local election officials on security issues.

Its like night and day, Edgardo Corts, who served as the Virginia commissioner of elections four years ago, told The Hill on Wednesday. In 2016 the level of coordination was almost nonexistent except in the immediate run-up to the election.

The election yesterday went very well, the lead-up to yesterday and yesterday itself went very well, and I think its a reflection of the ongoing effort that state and local election officials have put into election security, and the coordination that has developed at all levels of government, said Corts, who now works as an adviser to the election security team at New York Universitys Brennan Center for Justice.

In advance of Election Day, CISA established a 24/7 operations center to help coordinate with state and local officials, along with social media companies, election machine vendors and other stakeholders.

Hovland, who was in the operations center Tuesday, cited enhanced coordination as a key factor for securing this years election, along with cybersecurity enhancements including sensors on infrastructure in all 50 states to sense intrusions.

On Election Day, we were able to in a time where we are so conscious about misinformation and disinformation being one of the biggest threats be able to drill down and see what is happening in a place, get factual information very quickly, and be able to report that out before something snowballs, Hovland said.

Top officials were cautiously optimistic Wednesday about how things went.

Sen. Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerOfficials warn delayed vote count could lead to flood of disinformation Warner wins reelection in Virginia Live updates: Democrats fight to take control of the Senate MORE (D-Va.), the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it was clear agencies including Homeland Security, the FBI and the intelligence community had learned a ton of lessons from 2016.

That has included lots of coordination and sharing, including with private industry and social media companies, helping states and localities harden their systems, and focused intel collection to detect threats so they could be countered, Warner, who was elected to a third term Tuesday, said in an emailed statement.

He cautioned that were almost certain to discover something we missed in the coming weeks, but at the moment it looks like these preparations were fairly effective in defending our infrastructure.

A major election security issue on Capitol Hill over the past four years has focused on how to address election security threats, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when election officials were presented with new challenges and funding woes.

Congress has appropriated more than $800 million for states to enhance election security since 2018, along with an additional $400 million in March to address pandemic-related obstacles.

But Democrats and election experts have argued the $800 million was just a fraction of whats required to fully address security threats, such as funding permanent cybersecurity professionals in every voting jurisdiction, and updating vulnerable and outdated election equipment.

Election officials get a tremendous amount of credit on what they did with the limited amount of resources they had, said David Levine, a former Idaho election official whos now an elections integrity fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy.

Having regular, consistent funding that election officials can rely on could be really critical to helping ensure the integrity and security of our elections going forward, he added.

Threats from foreign interference have not disappeared, and threats to elections will almost certainly continue as votes are tallied, and into future elections.

A senior CISA official told reporters late Tuesday night that the agency was watching for threats including disinformation, the defacement of election websites, distributed denial of service attacks on election systems and increased demand on vote reporting sites taking systems offline.

The attack surface for disinformation and other foreign interference efforts extends well into the next month or two, the official said. There is no spiking the football here. We are acutely focused on the mission at hand. We are aggressively looking for any activity that could interfere with the election, and that is going to be our mission for the foreseeable future.

With Election Day coming only weeks after Director of National Intelligence John RatcliffeJohn Lee RatcliffeFederal official says voting security remains strong as polls begin to close Hillicon Valley: Officials express confidence in voting security amid early technical glitches | Unidentified robocall told millions to 'stay home' ahead of Election Day: report | QAnon's danger rises with divisive election Unidentified robocall told millions to 'stay home' ahead of Election Day: report MORE and other federal officials announced that Russia and Iran had obtained U.S. voter data and were attempting to interfere in the election process, the threats were only underlined.

When you look at what weve seen, I dont anticipate any of those threats going away any time soon, but weve seen what were doing is working, and we need to keep doing that and keep improving, Hovland said.

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Officials on alert for potential cyber threats after a quiet Election Day | TheHill - The Hill

The climate crisis is growing. The pandemic is causing dramatic and sustained changes in electricity transmission. And communities everywhere are learning the hard way about their vulnerabilities to disasters. Nonetheless, the past does not tell us everything we need to know to ensure grid resilience in the face of climate change.

We already know a lot about vulnerabilities. The months-long power outages in the wake of Hurricane Maria almost certainly contributed to unnecessary deaths due to delayed or interrupted healthcare, illustrating the complex intersection of disasters, social vulnerability, medical fragility and infrastructure collapse. The fatal wildfires in California requiring public safety power shutoffs illustrate all too well the problem of aging infrastructure, which contributes to the threat and the underlying vulnerability to disasters. These events are harbingers of the future. They provide clues as to what we may face and the role of our electric infrastructure in meeting these challenges, but we cannot build the grid of the future exclusively based on the needs and vulnerabilities of the past.

Assessing the durability of the electric grid, as well as other elements of essential infrastructure against disasters, requires an understanding of historical risk, as well as simulations for a range of uncertainties that the future holds. Compelling examples include climate change projections that show excess deaths in the tens of thousands in some urban areas over the next several decades due to increasing heat and humidity, creating additional strain on electrical systems and exacerbating the consequences of outages.

Threats from increasingly extreme weather events such as severe flooding, prolonged heat and drought, and coastal storms are coinciding with increasing reliance on electricity for daily life and for managing the growth of chronic diseases across the population. The shifting landscape of cybersecurity and the potential for attacks by state and non-state actors continue to evolve as well.

In addition to the changing threat and vulnerability landscape, we are learning more about how physical infrastructure and social vulnerabilities can exacerbate the uneven impact of a natural disaster at the community level, including the speed and degree of recovery. We also see this unevenness deepened by disaster recovery assistance programs, some of which have been shown to have less favorable outcomes for the socioeconomically disadvantaged and communities of color. Building the grid of the future requires attention to high impact, low probability events that may not actually be mere aberrations but may foretell greater catastrophes looming.

As with any infrastructure that is built to last for decades or longer, we have the choice of viewing an uncertain future as a threat or as a key contingency in our design of the grid of the future.

A good portion of the current U.S. energy infrastructure was built in the 1950s and 1960s. While there may have been some attempts at future-proofing the infrastructure at that time, the complexity of the threats we face today could not have been wholly understood nearly three-quarters of a century ago. Inevitably, the further out we try to predict, the more uncertain our predictions become, so how do we challenge ourselves to consider a fuller spectrum of scenarios in which threats may evolve over the coming decades?

The development of simulations playing out numerous scenarios at the outer boundaries of our uncertainty is necessary to ensure that our grid development is adaptable to the fullest possible range of potential disasters. Additionally, engaging all stakeholders is essential to ensure that the cascading social impacts of preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery efforts have the intended effects across the whole community. The need for input from community partners and advisory boards in the design and conduct of exercises and simulations cannot be overstated.

Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), the utility that serves Chicago and northern Illinois, has partnered with the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia Universitys Earth Institute, to conduct just such a simulation within the utilitys Bronzeville Community Microgrid to better understand the benefits of investments in grid resiliency for social vulnerability during disaster recovery. This upcoming exercise will provide important insights into what the grid of the future might look like.

Nationally, FEMA has already identified the power grid as a lifeline for communities that is essential for health, safety and economic security. The critical role of electricity in recent major disasters reaffirms its importance in sustaining civil society, as well as illuminates the consequences that loom when the sustainment of this lifeline falls short. We cannot afford to wait for future disasters to reveal themselves to begin preparing for them. Coupling a thorough understanding of the past with a rigorous exploration of potential future scenarios will ensure we build a more adaptable and sustainable grid of the future.

Jeff Schlegelmilch is director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia Universitys Earth Institute, and the author of the book Rethinking Readiness: A Brief Guide to Twenty-First-Century Megadisasters from Columbia University Press.

Aleksi Paaso is director of distribution planning, smart grid, and innovation at Commonwealth Edison Co.

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Looking back won't tell us everything we need to know about grid vulnerability | TheHill - The Hill