Temporary Housing Stats:
How Last Year's Storms Affected Placement Needs

Every year we find temporary housing for thousands of policyholders, and, periodically, we like to take a look at our own data to see what trends–or just down right interesting facts–we can unearth. It was very clear that the hurricanes and severe storms of 2017 had a serious effect on many policyholder's lives as well as on the workload of your adjusters and our relocation specialists.

Overall, some of what we learned...

BIG STORMS MADE A BIG IMPACT

We saw an almost 10% uptick in families needing temporary housing due to storm damage, most of which was caused by last year's hurricanes.

There continues to be a wide range of reasons people need temporary housing (cars through home is so much more frequent than most people realize), and we continue to be skilled at working with policyholders in meeting their needs—no matter the trauma they may have just endured. But for 2017, there was no denying the increase in storm damage and the impact hurricanes had on people's lives.

INCREASE IN SHORT TERM HOUSING
We saw a statistically significant increase in the percentage of placements that were short-term hotel only, most of which we can directly attribute to the hurricanes.

While the hurricanes caused both a supply shortage (due to the widespread damage) and a demand surge (due to the number of people affected), the general need for short-term housing of 1-2 months also presented a unique challenge. That's because 1-2 months is usually too long to expect a family to live comfortably in a hotel yet can be too short of a term for most landlords looking to lease their property. This caused an increase in the use of corporate housing units and vacation rentals for these situations, but that trend is not expected to continue into 2018.

LEAVE NO PET BEHIND

Beyond storms, it was interesting to note that at least HALF of all families we worked with had a pet, making it clear that critter-friendly housing solutions are a must.

Most dogs in a family for whom we managed housing in 2017: 11
Most cats in a family for whom we managed housing in 2017: 10
Most common "other" pets: Birds
Most unusual pets needing placement with their family: Sugar Gliders, Pigs.
Largest number of pets: One family had more than100 reptiles... and 3 dogs.

A few things to note about the above stats... First, the percentages don't add up to 100% since some people have multiple pets that cross categories. Second, small caged pets (hamsters, fish) don't often get counted in our data. That's because there isn't usually a need for us to be involved in their relocation since most rental properties will allow them. Lastly, people really love their pets. So, we do everything possible to make sure that the pets are as well taken care of as the people–even if that means finding a solution for a family with one hundred reptiles!

Have a policyholder with an immediate need? We're available 24/7. Report a loss now >

HOUSING STORY
The house fire that displaced a family of three and their dog and cat was only the beginning of their problems. Soon after, someone attempted to loot their property. With this new concern, the family's needs changed and they asked if we could find them a temporary house that was close to their home. We moved them into a property just 2.5 miles away, enabling them to easily keep an eye on their own home and providing them with peace of mind.

"The wife let us know that we had done a wonderful job and they really appreciated everything we did for them. She said we've been compassionate and accommodating and that that's meant a lot to them. – Housing HQ Relocation Specialist