PROGRAMS
Disaster recovery doesn’t just reflect existing inequalities; it often deepens them. The systems survivors must navigate to access aid, housing, or insurance are not simply fractured; they are intentionally complex, opaque, and exclusionary. This creates critical knowledge gaps that prevent people from understanding their rights or taking timely action after a crisis. We act as navigators, connectors, and educators: we help residents understand the recovery landscape, and support other organizations in identifying legal risks, and building long-term community capacity to manage disaster-related legal challenges.
We do this through:
Community-based disaster rights education delivered through workshops, printed toolkits, and neighborhood events.
Trainings for service providers and first responders including continuing legal education (CLE) for attorneys and tailored sessions for disaster case managers, housing advocates, and resilience coordinators.
Online disaster preparedness and recovery education where we develop and share timely updates, plain-language explainers, and rights-based tools.
Disaster rights advocacy where we collaborate with regional and national partnerships on initiatives ranging from listening tours to resilience hub development.
COMMUNITY-BASED DISASTER RIGHTS EDUCATION
These are hands-on, place-specific workshops that are free to attend. These workshops aim to break down the complex system of disaster recovery and ensure just recovery for disaster survivors.
Topics include scam, fraud, misinformation and disinformation prevention; FEMA and insurance appeals; assembling personal legal documents; tenant protections, and more.
Trainings for service providers and first responders
We equip community leaders with the knowledge to protect and support their communities after disasters, and train attorneys, case managers, and advocates to strengthen the broader recovery system.
“ELR’s Scams & Fraud Workshop was engaging, informative, and incredibly valuable as more and more communities are hit with climate-driven extreme weather—and disaster scams. I’d highly recommend this for anyone living in an area vulnerable to hurricanes, fires, and flooding, and would encourage participants to share takeaways with friends and family, especially the elderly and immigrant community who are most easily taken advantage of.”
-Deanna Noël Campaigns Director, Climate Program at Public Citizen (July 2025)
"Amelia’s conversation with my Social Problems class was one of the most engaging and refreshing guest sessions we’ve had. She introduced students to the concept of disaster justice and pushed them to think critically about how law and policy shape who recovers and who doesn’t. Afterward, students expressed interest in career paths connected to disaster recovery and justice."
-Cameron Leahy PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor, Tulane University (April 2025)
disaster rights advocacy
We build partnerships and coalitions that connect local realities to broader systems. Through regional and national collaboration, we help link survivors, legal advocates, government agencies, and organizers. Our work ranges from listening tours and resilience hub planning to participation in policy-focused working groups. We create tools and networks that respond to real-time needs while pushing for long-term systems change.
United Houma Nation RISING Project- Resilience Hub
We're collaborating with the United Houma Nation on the planning and development of a Resilience Hub in Houma, Louisiana. This Hub will serve as a year-round community space and, during disasters, provide critical services like power, water, communication, and cooling. It’s part of UHN’s larger effort to build infrastructure that meets the realities of repeated hurricanes, land loss, and recovery challenges.
Online disaster preparedness and recovery education
We disseminate critical information that helps communities prevent and recover from disaster-related impacts. We track changes in law, policy, and recovery practice- responding quickly when misinformation or confusion threatens access to aid. Our grassroots partners help distribute these materials fast, in languages and formats that meet people where they are.