In the six months since Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast, Architecture for Humanity has launched a major disaster response effort focused on the long-term reconstruction of devastated communities. The Hurricane Sandy Reconstruction Program is only possible with the on-going support and generosity of our followers, partners, chapter members and global network of architects and designers.

The conversation and coordination expanded in December and January as our 600-strong NYC Chapter stepped up to assist in community surveys and we meet with local officials to determine where we can make the largest impact.

Efforts are ramping up - we have secured a permanent office and have begun recruiting staff for project execution.

At present we have launched the following:

• Restore the Shore, Seaside Heights, NJ

• ReNew New Jersey / New York Schools
• Rebuild One Block, Rockaway, NY

Seven weeks have passed since Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast, and Architecture for Humanity's Reconstruction and Resiliency team is on the ground planning for long-term reconstruction by talking to community members, assessing damages and meeting with town officials. The Hurricane Sandy Reconstruction Program is dedicated to helping communities by assisting families and community leaders navigate the reconstruction process. Together we can change lives!

Ed Kloskowski is not a designer or an architect. But upon seeing his native New Jersey struggling in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, he took it upon himself to do what he does in the name of awareness for recovery: Ed ran. Ed ran the length of New Jersey, 220 miles from November 16-21 CARRYING A FLAG, meeting community members and raising nearly $10,000 online and for Sandy recovery. We appreciate his support as we launch our New Jersey and New York programs for long-term sustainable reconstruction.

As we are setting up reconstruction offices in New York and New Jersey the creative community continues to help us raise funds for rebuilding affected communities along the eastern seaboard.

On Tuesday November 27th the Bowery Hotel will be transformed into a pop up sample event that will put the Barneys sale to shame. One hundred of the worlds top designers have donated their best threads. From discounted threads from Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Alabama Chanin to Theory and Edun will make up 100 racks. Proceeds will be split equally between Architecture for Humanity and Waves For Water.

Fashion Girls For Humanity
Two Day Sample Sale for Sandy at The Bowery Hotel (4 East 3rd St. New York, NY)
Tues Nov 27th 11am to Wed. Nov 28th 7pm
$5 admission / $50 Early admission / Tickets at the door or online
sneak peek via Elle

HURRICANE SANDY UPDATE - November 20, 2012

Since Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast three weeks ago, Architecture for Humanity has been on the ground, launching a major response campaign and is identifying long-term reconstruction projects. Read the latest updates below.

Last Wednesday the New York Chapter volunteer squad held their first field orientation and assembled teams to go out to Breezy Point, Coney Island, Sea Gate, Tottenville, and Hoboken to begin assessing needs and collecting stories about each community over the weekend - the full report of observations after the break.

The effort marks only the start of AFHNY's work with communities affected by Sandy. The Chapter will hold its second orientation and team building the week after Thanksgiving. The time and location information will be posted to the Chapter Network in the coming days and will be sent out via email for those who have signed up.

Volunteers who have a vehicle and can drive to some of the more remote areas are vital to our efforts. When you RSVP for an orientation, please let us know if you are willing to provide transportation for you team and your neighborhood of origin.

Last week the Disaster Team and New York City Chapter toured nearly 140 miles of the New Jersey and New York coastlines to get a firsthand sense of the damage wrought late last month by Hurricane Sandy, and assessing the highest priorities in long-term reconstruction.

The overall impression: recovery will be complex. Damage along the coast is pocketed, with separate conditions from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even house to house. This condition sets the Eastern Seaboard apart from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, which was vast and total.

Working class communities were the hardest hit, and will have the most trouble recovering. The Wall Street Journal reports that, with a couple exceptions, at least half of damaged residences in most towns are uninsured against floods, and only 1% of damaged homes in New York are insured against flood damage.

This update highlights four different circumstances of damage that last week's tour helped uncover.

As part of our long term response to Hurricane Sandy we are helping families who lost homes both by storm and fire. Help us rebuild one block and repair homes of first responders affected by Hurricane Sandy. We will give direct "rapid construction grants" to vetted grassroots partners and focus on ground-up reconstruction.

Small Rapid Repair Grants
We don't want to just repair a home we want to build a resilient home that can respond to future storms. However winter is coming and more people will be displaced unless we help them get heat and power.

As we have begun to understand the sheer devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy on the eastern seaboard, one town seems to have bore the brunt of the disaster. Seaside Heights, situated in the heart of the Jersey shore and home to decades of summer memories, has been left ravaged by the storm. According to city officials it is estimated that 80-90% of all properties in Seaside Heights have sustained some type of damage and the boardwalk, which made the town a destination spot, has been destroyed.

Having spent four years working on rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, we recognize the damage in New Jersey to be on par with some of the worst hit areas of the Gulf coast. We need to build back stronger and in a more resilient manner. While we cannot tame nature we can build to protect residents and the economic lifeline of the community.

This week Hurricane Sandy carved a path through the Caribbean before moving up the Atlantic and turning into New Jersey striking many coastal towns. The storm moved north and created a storm surge that has devastated the New York Metro area. There has been widespread major damage and loss of life.

Donate by mail: Architecture for Humanity, 848 Folsom Street, Suite 201, San Francisco, CA 94107

We've gathered some resources on flood repair strategies along with additional resources in recovering from Hurricane Sandy. Check them out!

Repairing Your Flooded Home by FEMA and American Red Cross, is a comprehensive guide that includes some great graphics.

Here's an excerpt:

Step 1: Take Care of Yourself First
Protect yourself and your family from stress, fatigue, and health hazards that follow a flood
Step 2: Give Your Home First Aid
Once it is safe to go back in , protect your home and contents from further damage
Step 3: Get Organized
Some things are not worth repairing and some things may be too complicated or expensive for you to do by yourself. A recovery plan can take these things into account and help you make the most of your time and money
Step 4: Dry Out Your Home

Our partners the American Institute of Architects issued a statement yesterday, October 31, outlining our commitment to responding to the damage wrought by Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy. We will be working closely with the AIA throughout our recovery efforts in the United States:

“To the many communities in Hurricane Sandy's path, members of the AIA and the AIA National Disaster Assistance Committee send our hopes for their safety. The AIA will work closely with our colleagues, as we have following other severe weather events, to assist local communities in their recovery efforts.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1, 2012 — As families weather the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy, Architecture for Humanity, together with our chapters and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), are mobilizing its teams and starting to plan the long term reconstruction efforts ahead. The extent of damage caused by the flooding is significant. Professional design and construction volunteers from both organizations will be working together to help households, schools, heath facilities, small businesses and local governments rebuild in the coming days and weeks.

As the waters from Hurricane Sandy recede days following the storm, we are getting a broader sense of the destruction the storm wrought along the Eastern Seaboard on October 28-29, 2012.

As whenever disaster strikes, it will be many days before the full impact of the storm is brought to light, and which communities will be in largest need of design support as the broader reconstruction effort proceeds. However we are not waiting for the water to recede before preparing a reconstruction campaign. Our Haiti office is currently evaluating damage in the Caribbean, and Headquarters is working with our local chapters and partners such as the American Institute of Architects to launch a formal program to further identify which areas have been most severely impacted by Sandy. We are asking for your support: see below.

One thing is certain: communities WILL need professional architecture and construction assistance to rebuild.