If you think the weather is getting worse, it’s not your imagination. As the planet warms, we are seeing more deadly floods, intense heat waves, and devastating wildfires. But here’s the good news: in the most climate-vulnerable communities, neighbors are coming together to create “resilience hubs” and keep each other safe.
The need could not be greater. Extreme weather does not affect all people equally: working-class communities and people of color are hit first and worst. That’s because climate impacts are layered over existing problems, like poverty, pollution, and discrimination.
For example, Black and Brown neighborhoods that were denied investment by “redlining” are often hotter and more flood-prone than wealthier, whiter areas. Partly as a result, Black Americans are 50% more likely to die of extreme heat than non-Hispanic whites, per 2004-2018 federal data.
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Northeast Ohio, where I live, is an example of these multilayered challenges. Cleveland is among the 15 cities most vulnerable to the “urban heat island effect” caused by too much concrete and not enough green space. And many of our residents lack life-saving air conditioning, partly because they haven’t needed it until now. We also have some of the nation’s worst air pollution, which contributes to high rates of heart disease and asthma. And decades of de-industrialization have left our region with poverty rates well above the national average.
But while we may be vulnerable, we are not powerless. My organization, the Northeast Ohio Community Resilience Centre (NEOCRC), has created nine resilience hubs across our nine-county region. These hubs empower residents to lead their own preparedness and recovery efforts — particularly in the communities that are most harmed by climate disasters. And we are not alone: resilience hubs are springing up in communities like ours, all across the country.
What Resilience Hubs Do
Located in spaces people know and trust, such as houses of worship or community centers, resilience hubs provide immediate relief in an emergency. That might mean a place to cool off during a heat wave, access to drinking water and food when supply chains are cut, or help navigating federal disaster aid. Many hubs use renewable energy to keep the lights on when the grid goes down: for example, a hub in Petersburg, Virginia, installed solar panels with a battery backup so residents can charge phones and use medical equipment during a power outage.
Unlike traditional disaster aid, resilience hubs serve the community even when there’s not an emergency. NEOCRC’s hubs serve as year-round centers for community building, mutual aid, health initiatives, and education on the green energy transition. In this way, we promote holistic well-being and reduce carbon pollution — making climate disasters less likely. Our hubs have become focal points for organizing, sharing stories, and coordinating responses, strengthening community ties and embracing intergenerational/multiracial leadership for broader climate action.
Why Community-Led Solutions Matter for Environmental Justice
Resilience hubs also differ from traditional disaster aid in that they are run by and for the communities they serve. This is especially important in communities like mine, where decades of discrimination and disinvestment have eroded trust in government. While many hubs receive government funding (ours were launched by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), their priorities are driven by local residents. In this way, hubs build local power by shifting decision-making to residents.
For example, NEOCRC’s resilience hubs grew from a series of community conversations we organized across our region. At those meetings, residents identified their top concerns, such as extreme heat, flooding, air quality or asthma. As a result, each hub looks a little different from the others. But they all serve the same purpose: helping residents prepare, stay safe, and stay connected in good times and bad.
As the climate changes, resilience hubs can help our communities bend the arc toward environmental justice. For decades, we have fought the unfair burden of pollution and toxic waste in communities of color. Now, our communities are coping with the disproportionate effects of a changing climate — a crucial environmental justice issue for the 21st century and beyond. By building resilience hubs, we are taking charge of our own safety — and building a fairer, greener future for all.
Yvonka Hall is the executive director of the nationally recognized Northeast Ohio Community Resilience Centre.