Sea Level Rise and Housing Affordability in Small Coastal Communities: A Case Study in Maine

Abstract

Significant portions of the United States’ coastal housing stock are vulnerable to inundation in coming decades. This will cause a direct loss of housing, result in higher prices for homes that are not vulnerable to flooding, and require investment to protect flood-vulnerable housing. In the context of nationwide housing affordability challenges, this scenario raises equity concerns for those impacted both directly and indirectly. Planners employ community adaptation frameworks that primarily draw from highly-populated urban areas. While some center equity concerns, few consider the distinct, poorly understood challenges that small coastal communities face. Using four towns in Knox County, Maine, as a case study, I find (1) that likely inundation from sea level rise varies in extent by town, but the value of affected parcels is consistent in pattern and (2) that climate-induced housing challenges have a greater likelihood of being solved if addressed at a regional level.