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Knowledge Cafés

Conversations on how congregations weather disasters and help communities recover.

September 21 & May 25, 2021 online

Houses of worship dedicate themselves to helping their neighbors in times of disaster. But this often leaves them without the means to care for themselves.

Not only that, communication between faith-based groups and government emergency response managers (mainly at the county level) needs to improve. Doing so may be the key to faster recovery from disaster. Those two topics—funding and communication—were among the most talked about during two Knowledge Cafés organized by the UTSA-CCS research team.

The online events drew participants from preservation nonprofits, faith-based groups, county government, FEMA, and private firms. Below is a summary of what we learned.

Historic houses of worship on the Gulf Coast face unique risks. The UTSA-CCS research team defines “risk” as anything that prevents a congregation from keeping its building in good repair. Risks range from weather/climate events to a history of economic and social inequality.

  • Wind and water cause the most damage. Roofs, windows, and wood absorb the brunt of this damage. And this weakens the entire building. While water damage is mostly associated with hurricanes and floods, Winter Storm Uri also had significant effects because of burst pipes.
  • Many historic houses of worship already need repairs before a storm even hits. Sadly, they lack the funds needed to fix these issues. And so, they become more vulnerable.
  • While most historic houses of worship have devoted congregations, declining and aging membership trends are a problem. For instance, fewer members often means less money to make needed repairs. Plus, aging congregation members have less energy for response and recovery efforts. Most problematically, this group is among the most vulnerable in a natural disaster.
  • Historically marginalized and underserved communities often exist in geographic areas at greater risk during large weather events (e.g., low-lying areas prone to flooding). As a result, houses of worship that serve these communities find themselves more likely to be damaged in a storm.
  • A house of worship closing its doors will hurt the overall recovery effort. Because a house of worship acts as first responder—providing emergency food, clothing, shelter, information-sharing, etc.—the community suffers when these vital services can’t be offered.

Ultimately, a congregation’s ability to care for its historic building is most strongly connected to its access to resources.

  • Congregations in under-served communities have fewer funds available to them at the individual, congregational, and denominational levels.
  • Wealthier congregations and denominations recover from damage faster.
  • Very few resources exist for faith-based groups that need building repair. Often, the only groups that can provide financial help for houses of worship are those affiliated with their particular faith/denomination.
  • Congregations help their members and families who lose homes, income, etc. because of a disaster. Also, congregations seek out people who need help. For example, Hindus of Greater Houston and Sewa International’s Houston Chapter saw many of their elderly members being displaced after disasters. In response, these groups are working to build long-term senior housing.

 

Tax Credits

Houses of worship usually know what repairs they need to make, but they lack the money to do so. One thing that might help is the state preservation tax credit. Because faith-based groups are nonprofits, they can use this tax credit to pay for improvements. It can cover 25% of qualified expenses. But first, a congregation needs to make sure its building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

FEMA

Faith-based groups also say they struggle with all the steps it takes to get help from FEMA or insurance companies. FEMA’s rules are changing to make it easier for houses of worship. But still, most faith-based groups don’t know whom to contact or what help is available. Congregations need more information on how to apply for federal tax credits and grants. And a good resource for learning how to work with FEMA is the County Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

  • Historic houses of worship often have historic (and rare) instruments and artifacts. Damage to the building can damage the artifacts too. For example, many Christian churches have pipe organs, which are particularly at risk for water damage.
  • Historic buildings, especially those with landmark status, require specialists for repair and renovation work. And these specialists are in short supply. Plus, their services often cost more than non-specialists. As a result, repairs take longer and hurt the congregation’s ability to help the community.

One of the key factors to a quick recovery is the strength of networks. Many long-term recovery groups are already in contact with each other and can connect with other counties to share resources and emergency contact information. It would also help to have a list of resources, including contractors specializing in historic property repair.

 

Offices of Emergency Management (OEMs)

County OEMs can be a great help to congregations in disaster prep and recovery. They know that faith-based groups do a lot for their congregations and community. But they don’t always know whom to partner with. Plus, procedures for response and recovery vary by county.

Congregations and the OEM need to know before the disaster hits who is in charge of coordination. Plus, they need to have each other’s contact information. In Harris County, the local government is already reaching out to houses of worship to coordinate. Communication among various counties within the region would also help. It would let counties with more resources help those with fewer.

 

How the UTSA-CCS Toolkit Can Help

Some communication issues also arise due to a lack of shared terminology regarding disaster prep and recovery. UTSA’s Resilience Roadmap and Resilience Performance Indicators may solve this problem. Our work could provide the common language needed between faith-based groups and government emergency planners. The Resilience Performance Indicators will give congregations a numeric score for how their building will likely perform in a disaster. From there, the Resilience Roadmap will give faith-based groups some tips on how to improve their score.

 

Connecting Congregations

Communication between congregations is just as important. This will let those who are more prepared help those that are less so.

  • Because of the lack of grants and other relief resources to congregations, faith groups have created informal networks of mutual aid after disasters.
  • Reedy Chapel has started an informal network of disaster-response services with other Galveston Island congregations. The shared experience of multiple disasters has strengthened this network as well as interfaith ties.
  • Less-vulnerable congregations have found ways to serve those that are in harm’s way. Houses of worship farther inland can repair and mobilize quickly to aid those in Galveston, which is often hit hardest and takes longer to recover. Inland congregations can host and house volunteers from across the country who provide much-needed recovery-related labor.
  • There are new efforts to better coordinate congregations across the Houston area to respond to natural disasters. Interestingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened this network. Some groups, like Houston Responds and Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, work to improve communication with a biweekly call to share information from OEM. Knowing what’s already available will help future efforts to fill in gaps and not duplicate services.

Disaster-proofing is an ongoing process. Congregations should choose a liaison and volunteers before the disaster. This will help them streamline response and know whom to contact. Volunteers are key to solving problems, organizing, and rebuilding before and after disasters. Also, using college students as volunteers could reduce the cost of rebuilding and create greater community connections.

Finally, faith-based groups need to think about how they will distribute information both before and after a disaster. (Harris County already has a platform for this). Keep in mind the age of congregants.

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Image credit: This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by National Archives at College Park – Still Pictures as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America, via its partner National Archives and Records Administration. Image created by U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Public Affairs Division. George Armstrong/FEMA

Knowledge Cafés

Conversations on how congregations weather disasters and help communities recover.

September 21 & May 25, 2021 online

Houses of worship dedicate themselves to helping their neighbors in times of disaster. But this often leaves them without the means to care for themselves.

Not only that, communication between faith-based groups and government emergency response managers (mainly at the county level) needs to improve. Doing so may be the key to faster recovery from disaster. Those two topics—funding and communication—were among the most talked about during two Knowledge Cafés organized by the UTSA-CCS research team.

The online events drew participants from preservation nonprofits, faith-based groups, county government, FEMA, and private firms. Below is a summary of what we learned.

Historic houses of worship on the Gulf Coast face unique risks. The UTSA-CCS research team defines “risk” as anything that prevents a congregation from keeping its building in good repair. Risks range from weather/climate events to a history of economic and social inequality.

  • Wind and water cause the most damage. Roofs, windows, and wood absorb the brunt of this damage. And this weakens the entire building. While water damage is mostly associated with hurricanes and floods, Winter Storm Uri also had significant effects because of burst pipes.
  • Many historic houses of worship already need repairs before a storm even hits. Sadly, they lack the funds needed to fix these issues. And so, they become more vulnerable.
  • While most historic houses of worship have devoted congregations, declining and aging membership trends are a problem. For instance, fewer members often means less money to make needed repairs. Plus, aging congregation members have less energy for response and recovery efforts. Most problematically, this group is among the most vulnerable in a natural disaster.
  • Historically marginalized and underserved communities often exist in geographic areas at greater risk during large weather events (e.g., low-lying areas prone to flooding). As a result, houses of worship that serve these communities find themselves more likely to be damaged in a storm.
  • A house of worship closing its doors will hurt the overall recovery effort. Because a house of worship acts as first responder—providing emergency food, clothing, shelter, information-sharing, etc.—the community suffers when these vital services can’t be offered.

Ultimately, a congregation’s ability to care for its historic building is most strongly connected to its access to resources.

  • Congregations in under-served communities have fewer funds available to them at the individual, congregational, and denominational levels.
  • Wealthier congregations and denominations recover from damage faster.
  • Very few resources exist for faith-based groups that need building repair. Often, the only groups that can provide financial help for houses of worship are those affiliated with their particular faith/denomination.
  • Congregations help their members and families who lose homes, income, etc. because of a disaster. Also, congregations seek out people who need help. For example, Hindus of Greater Houston and Sewa International’s Houston Chapter saw many of their elderly members being displaced after disasters. In response, these groups are working to build long-term senior housing.

 

Tax Credits

Houses of worship usually know what repairs they need to make, but they lack the money to do so. One thing that might help is the state preservation tax credit. Because faith-based groups are nonprofits, they can use this tax credit to pay for improvements. It can cover 25% of qualified expenses. But first, a congregation needs to make sure its building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

FEMA

Faith-based groups also say they struggle with all the steps it takes to get help from FEMA or insurance companies. FEMA’s rules are changing to make it easier for houses of worship. But still, most faith-based groups don’t know whom to contact or what help is available. Congregations need more information on how to apply for federal tax credits and grants. And a good resource for learning how to work with FEMA is the County Office of Emergency Management (OEM).

  • Historic houses of worship often have historic (and rare) instruments and artifacts. Damage to the building can damage the artifacts too. For example, many Christian churches have pipe organs, which are particularly at risk for water damage.
  • Historic buildings, especially those with landmark status, require specialists for repair and renovation work. And these specialists are in short supply. Plus, their services often cost more than non-specialists. As a result, repairs take longer and hurt the congregation’s ability to help the community.

One of the key factors to a quick recovery is the strength of networks. Many long-term recovery groups are already in contact with each other and can connect with other counties to share resources and emergency contact information. It would also help to have a list of resources, including contractors specializing in historic property repair.

 

Offices of Emergency Management (OEMs)

County OEMs can be a great help to congregations in disaster prep and recovery. They know that faith-based groups do a lot for their congregations and community. But they don’t always know whom to partner with. Plus, procedures for response and recovery vary by county.

Congregations and the OEM need to know before the disaster hits who is in charge of coordination. Plus, they need to have each other’s contact information. In Harris County, the local government is already reaching out to houses of worship to coordinate. Communication among various counties within the region would also help. It would let counties with more resources help those with fewer.

 

How the UTSA-CCS Toolkit Can Help

Some communication issues also arise due to a lack of shared terminology regarding disaster prep and recovery. UTSA’s Resilience Roadmap and Resilience Performance Indicators may solve this problem. Our work could provide the common language needed between faith-based groups and government emergency planners. The Resilience Performance Indicators will give congregations a numeric score for how their building will likely perform in a disaster. From there, the Resilience Roadmap will give faith-based groups some tips on how to improve their score.

 

Connecting Congregations

Communication between congregations is just as important. This will let those who are more prepared help those that are less so.

  • Because of the lack of grants and other relief resources to congregations, faith groups have created informal networks of mutual aid after disasters.
  • Reedy Chapel has started an informal network of disaster-response services with other Galveston Island congregations. The shared experience of multiple disasters has strengthened this network as well as interfaith ties.
  • Less-vulnerable congregations have found ways to serve those that are in harm’s way. Houses of worship farther inland can repair and mobilize quickly to aid those in Galveston, which is often hit hardest and takes longer to recover. Inland congregations can host and house volunteers from across the country who provide much-needed recovery-related labor.
  • There are new efforts to better coordinate congregations across the Houston area to respond to natural disasters. Interestingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened this network. Some groups, like Houston Responds and Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, work to improve communication with a biweekly call to share information from OEM. Knowing what’s already available will help future efforts to fill in gaps and not duplicate services.

Disaster-proofing is an ongoing process. Congregations should choose a liaison and volunteers before the disaster. This will help them streamline response and know whom to contact. Volunteers are key to solving problems, organizing, and rebuilding before and after disasters. Also, using college students as volunteers could reduce the cost of rebuilding and create greater community connections.

Finally, faith-based groups need to think about how they will distribute information both before and after a disaster. (Harris County already has a platform for this). Keep in mind the age of congregants.

Return to top of page.

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