Post-Flood disruptions to transportation access among people experiencing homelessness

Natural hazards disproportionately disrupt lives of socially vulnerable populations, yet transportation recovery research often relies on infrastructure- or household-based metrics that overlook access constraints experienced by people experiencing homelessness (PEH), a population rarely reached in post-disaster data collection. This study examines post-hazard transportation access among PEH following the 2023 Vermont floods, focusing on how housing instability and recovery systems shape transportation outcomes. Using mixed-methods survey data collected in-person and online, and including individuals unhoused prior to the flood and those who became unhoused as a result, we analyze changes in perceived transportation access, travel modes, vehicle access, and recovery assistance over short- and longer-term recovery periods. Results show that PEH experienced substantially greater short- and long-term transportation access disruption than housed populations, with access remaining constrained even as infrastructure and services recovered. Differences emerged between individuals who were unhoused prior to the floods and those who became unhoused as a result, highlighting distinct recovery trajectories linked to housing stability. Qualitative responses document how displacement, loss of belongings and documentation, and reliance on informal travel options shaped daily mobility experiences following the floods. Findings reveal a mismatch between formal recovery systems and PEH transportation needs, while community- and faith-based organizations were more consistently identified as trusted and accessible sources of support. By centering the transportation access experiences of PEH after a flood hazard, this study provides rare empirical evidence to inform more inclusive disaster recovery and transportation planning approaches that better account for housing instability and lived access constraints.