# Doctoral Dissertation Research: Drivers of Residential Decisions After Disasters

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · SUNY at Albany (NY) · $30,000

## Abstract

Disasters alter the physical environment, destroy homes, and leave survivors with challenging decisions: should they return to their prior community or relocate to a new community? Past studies suggest that factors such as familial ties to an area, history in a community, age, employment opportunities, insurance coverage, and risk perceptions shape these residential decisions. Most of these studies, however, have focused on homeowners exclusively, ignoring renters, which make up 34 percent of U.S. households. Renters also encounter unique challenges in deciding where to live after disasters, since they do not decide whether to rebuild rental units after disasters. Understanding how renters make residential decisions after disasters, however, is paramount to ensuring communities recover after disasters. A wide range of businesses essential to community functioning rely heavily on renters, including restaurants, construction, farming, vegetation management, landscaping, and catering. This study addresses how renters make residential decisions after wildfires in two communities recently affected by major wildfires. Study findings support the development of disaster recovery plans that support the recovery of the housing market, the local economy, and renters after disasters. 

This project investigates how renters’ make residential decisions after wildfires using a modified Push-Pull Model of Migration. Previous literature, primarily focused on floods, suggests that residentia

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2519827
- **Awardee organization:** SUNY at Albany (NY)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** NHH3T1Z96H29
- **PI:** Alex Greer
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** —
- **Estimated total:** $30,000
- **Funds obligated:** $30,000
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 07/01/2025 → 06/30/2027

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2519827

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2519827, Doctoral Dissertation Research: Drivers of Residential Decisions After Disasters. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2519827. Licensed CC0.

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