About this episode
Houston has taken center stage as a city deeply impacted by Hurricane Harvey, but small towns in Texas were also devastated by this hurricane and resultant flooding. It's often the smaller towns that struggle the most to properly plan and fund their rebuilding efforts because they lack the amount of staff and varied expertise to handle challenges of this magnitude. At Strong Towns, we care about the fate of these communities and we want to help them rebuild in a way that doesn't just repair damage from wind and flood but also makes them stronger towns over the long haul. That's why, together with the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) , Local Government Commission , and the National Institute of Standards and Technology , we are supporting Collaborative Communities' efforts to deploy Free Assistance Support Teams (FAST) to small communities affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Through the FAST program , municipal governments will receive free assistance to ensure they have the necessary tools and information to adequately prepare for the FEMA Project Worksheet process. The goal is for this model to become a national program that can be applied in future disasters to help towns grow strong for years to come. Want to learn more about this effort and how you can get involved? In this short podcast conversation with Laura Clemons, who is leading the program, you'll hear about her organization, what they're doing in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and how you can help. Visit this page to sign up to volunteer for or donate to this effort .