Our flood risk mapping tool, FloodHelpNY leverages mapping technology and urban planning insights to educate individual homeowners on their level of flood risk. In partnership with the Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, FloodHelpNY launched in 2016 as a web-based tool, serving 32,791 in 2020 and 2021 to assess their flood risk. In addition to arming homeowners with the tools to address future climate risk, the Center knows how critical it is to act quickly when assistance is needed. In 2021, the remnants of Hurricane Ida swept through the region, tragically resulting in 18 deaths in NYC, most of which occurred in basement apartments. The Center mobilized rapidly, connecting with our 30+ network partners on the ground to see how their communities were hit and what kind of relief was needed.

The Center secured funding from our longstanding partner, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and was able to provide subgrants to those hardest hit in the Bronx, Staten Island, Queens, and Brooklyn. With those funds, 18 people received direct financial assistance, 400 received meals and temporary shelter, and nearly 800 received robust relief guidance including how to work with FEMA, how to navigate insurance claims, webinars, and more. With additional partnership from the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, we were further able to disburse $80K to help replace and repair property and household items lost due to Ida. In addition to the rapid disbursement of funds, the Center also worked with New York State's Homes and Community Renewal to provide emergency repair grants for homeowners whose homes were no longer livable due to damage caused by Ida, who additionally were not covered by FEMA's individual assistance declaration. Identifying this need where resources could not bridge the gap allowed the Center to connect homeowners to partners for one-on-one assistance in securing the funds.

This kind of rapid and responsive deployment across the city and across private and public partners alike is a critical part of the Center's mission, and will only grow more urgent in the face of climate change.