In "The Great Displacement" by Jake Bittle, we explore a startling future: over 20 million Americans forced to move due to climate change and natural disasters. This isn't just about environmental shifts—it's about the future of housing in America.

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Bittle takes us on a journey through diverse American towns and cities already experiencing this migration. From the Florida Keys to Kinston, North Carolina, Santa Rosa, California to Houston, Texas, we witness communities grappling with sudden disasters and slow, steady changes that reshape lives.

The book reveals a dark irony: people move to avoid disasters, only to find new threats in their chosen havens. Take Asheville, North Carolina—once seen as a refuge, now facing unprecedented flooding.

Bittle uncovers two critical themes:

1. The urgent need to address climate change, as we're already seeing its devastating effects.
2. The complex web of housing policies exacerbating these issues.

We explore how disasters expose and amplify economic inequalities, accelerating gentrification and forcing difficult choices about community resilience. Federal policies, local spending decisions, and insurance practices all play crucial roles in determining who can rebuild and who must leave.

From FEMA's flood insurance policies to the Army Corps of Engineers' decisions on levy reinforcement, we see how government choices shape the fate of entire neighborhoods. The book also delves into the ethical quandaries of "managed retreat" and the challenges of maintaining affordable housing in disaster-prone areas.

"The Great Displacement" is a wake-up call for both environmentalists and housing advocates. It bridges the gap between these often-separate discussions, showing how intimately linked they are in shaping our future communities.

Whether you're a housing policy wonk curious about environmental issues or an eco-warrior wanting to understand housing dynamics, this book offers invaluable insights into one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Join us as we unpack Bittle's findings and discuss how we can build more resilient, equitable communities in the face of climate change. The future of our cities depends on it.