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Climate Migration, Housing Instability, and Urban Displacement

N. K. Mensah & J. Alvarez — Environmental Futures Quarterly. DOI: 10.9921/efq.2026.2219
Abstract

Climate shocks increasingly drive internal migration, and receiving urban housing markets often lack the capacity or protections to absorb displaced households without producing new forms of housing instability. This study links FEMA assistance records, administrative housing and eviction data, and longitudinal interviews with relocated households to trace pathways from climate exposure to rent burden, eviction risk, and displacement. Using matched comparisons and trajectory analyses, we document consistent rent increases and elevated eviction filings among relocated households, and qualitative accounts reveal landlord discrimination, administrative barriers to emergency assistance, and redevelopment pressures that reduce affordable stock. We evaluate policy responses—emergency rental assistance, tenant protections tied to disaster funding, and community land trust strategies—and propose an integrated framework that aligns climate adaptation investments with housing preservation to prevent displacement and preserve community stability in receiving cities.

Introduction

As climate hazards intensify, displaced households relocate into urban markets already shaped by inequality. Without protections, climate migration can accelerate displacement and homelessness. This paper examines how receiving communities’ housing markets and policies shape outcomes for climate migrants and identifies policy levers to reduce displacement risk.

Methods

We combined FEMA assistance records with administrative housing data (eviction filings, rent indices) and conducted longitudinal interviews with 78 relocated households. Propensity score matching and difference‑in‑differences analyses compared relocated households to matched controls. Qualitative interviews explored landlord interactions, assistance access, and housing search experiences.

Results

Relocated households experienced rent increases averaging 18% within 12 months and had a 2.3x higher risk of eviction filings compared to matched controls. Interviews revealed administrative barriers to assistance, landlord discrimination, and redevelopment pressures that reduced affordable stock in receiving neighborhoods.

Discussion

Policy responses must integrate climate adaptation funding with housing protections—tying disaster recovery dollars to tenant protections, funding emergency rental assistance, and supporting community land trusts to preserve affordable units. Zoning reforms and inclusionary housing policies in receiving communities can mitigate displacement risk but require sustained funding and political will.

References