Steve Koller
@stevekoller.bsky.social
Postdoctoral Fellow in Climate and Housing at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Researching natural hazard risk mitigation, insurance, decarbonization, related policy.
https://jchs.harvard.edu
https://jchs.harvard.edu
property-level metrics can also individualize risks that may be best managed collectively.
As a native Staten Islander, had to take the ferry while in town! Gorgeous views of the Puget Sound, plus lucked into riding the “Wenatchee,” the state’s first hybrid-electric ferry in their fleet. (4/4)
As a native Staten Islander, had to take the ferry while in town! Gorgeous views of the Puget Sound, plus lucked into riding the “Wenatchee,” the state’s first hybrid-electric ferry in their fleet. (4/4)
November 16, 2025 at 9:07 PM
property-level metrics can also individualize risks that may be best managed collectively.
As a native Staten Islander, had to take the ferry while in town! Gorgeous views of the Puget Sound, plus lucked into riding the “Wenatchee,” the state’s first hybrid-electric ferry in their fleet. (4/4)
As a native Staten Islander, had to take the ferry while in town! Gorgeous views of the Puget Sound, plus lucked into riding the “Wenatchee,” the state’s first hybrid-electric ferry in their fleet. (4/4)
Had a fantastic time at #APPAM2025 in Seattle! Great conference, excited for next year’s Fall Research Conference in Boston.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to moderate a roundtable titled “The Frontiers of Natural Hazard Risk Management Data” with an outstanding panel. Learned a ton from…(1/4)
Yesterday I had the opportunity to moderate a roundtable titled “The Frontiers of Natural Hazard Risk Management Data” with an outstanding panel. Learned a ton from…(1/4)
November 16, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Had a fantastic time at #APPAM2025 in Seattle! Great conference, excited for next year’s Fall Research Conference in Boston.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to moderate a roundtable titled “The Frontiers of Natural Hazard Risk Management Data” with an outstanding panel. Learned a ton from…(1/4)
Yesterday I had the opportunity to moderate a roundtable titled “The Frontiers of Natural Hazard Risk Management Data” with an outstanding panel. Learned a ton from…(1/4)
According to a new National Association of Realtors report, the share of all-cash home buyers in the U.S. has increased by nearly twenty percentage points over the past two decades to 26% in 2025. www.nar.realtor/newsroom/fir...
November 12, 2025 at 10:12 PM
According to a new National Association of Realtors report, the share of all-cash home buyers in the U.S. has increased by nearly twenty percentage points over the past two decades to 26% in 2025. www.nar.realtor/newsroom/fir...
Looks like the three housing-related ballot measures passed in NYC today.
Simpler zoning review on small parcels, faster review of affordable housing projects, and an appeal mechanism for rejected affordable housing proposals.
Will be interesting to see how these affect future housing production.
Simpler zoning review on small parcels, faster review of affordable housing projects, and an appeal mechanism for rejected affordable housing proposals.
Will be interesting to see how these affect future housing production.
November 5, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Looks like the three housing-related ballot measures passed in NYC today.
Simpler zoning review on small parcels, faster review of affordable housing projects, and an appeal mechanism for rejected affordable housing proposals.
Will be interesting to see how these affect future housing production.
Simpler zoning review on small parcels, faster review of affordable housing projects, and an appeal mechanism for rejected affordable housing proposals.
Will be interesting to see how these affect future housing production.
Terrible. According to NYC's comprehensive real-time flood sensor network, FloodNet, water levels this afternoon in Ditmas Park were measured at 15+ inches above ground level.
dataviz.floodnet.nyc/dashboard/pr...
dataviz.floodnet.nyc/dashboard/pr...
October 31, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Terrible. According to NYC's comprehensive real-time flood sensor network, FloodNet, water levels this afternoon in Ditmas Park were measured at 15+ inches above ground level.
dataviz.floodnet.nyc/dashboard/pr...
dataviz.floodnet.nyc/dashboard/pr...
Peak autumn colors in Lexington, MA this weekend. 250 years since local residents here changed the course of history 🇺🇸🍁
October 27, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Peak autumn colors in Lexington, MA this weekend. 250 years since local residents here changed the course of history 🇺🇸🍁
Boston Common today 🇺🇸
October 18, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Boston Common today 🇺🇸
Love to see (and barely hear) an electric garbage truck on a crisp autumn morning in Cambridge, MA.
October 2, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Love to see (and barely hear) an electric garbage truck on a crisp autumn morning in Cambridge, MA.
Great reporting. FEMA disaster assistance payouts are often slow in coming and less than what survivors need to recover.
The Individual Assistance (IA) Program and Policy Guide notes IA grants are meant to meet "basic needs," but aren't a substitute for insurance.
www.fema.gov/sites/defaul...
The Individual Assistance (IA) Program and Policy Guide notes IA grants are meant to meet "basic needs," but aren't a substitute for insurance.
www.fema.gov/sites/defaul...
September 27, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Great reporting. FEMA disaster assistance payouts are often slow in coming and less than what survivors need to recover.
The Individual Assistance (IA) Program and Policy Guide notes IA grants are meant to meet "basic needs," but aren't a substitute for insurance.
www.fema.gov/sites/defaul...
The Individual Assistance (IA) Program and Policy Guide notes IA grants are meant to meet "basic needs," but aren't a substitute for insurance.
www.fema.gov/sites/defaul...
motivation. The need to identify effective and equitable solutions for decarbonization and adaptation persists.
Also, very cool to have capped off the week with a visit to the 4,000+ acre Harvard Forest. A century-old research hub described as one of the “most instrumented forests in the world!”
Also, very cool to have capped off the week with a visit to the 4,000+ acre Harvard Forest. A century-old research hub described as one of the “most instrumented forests in the world!”
September 22, 2025 at 12:46 AM
motivation. The need to identify effective and equitable solutions for decarbonization and adaptation persists.
Also, very cool to have capped off the week with a visit to the 4,000+ acre Harvard Forest. A century-old research hub described as one of the “most instrumented forests in the world!”
Also, very cool to have capped off the week with a visit to the 4,000+ acre Harvard Forest. A century-old research hub described as one of the “most instrumented forests in the world!”
Inspired by the thought-provoking and deeply informative set of sessions at this year’s Harvard Climate Action Week. Grateful for the university’s and @harvardsalata.bsky.social’s leadership advancing climate and climate policy research despite headwinds. An overarching theme I take…(1/3)
September 22, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Inspired by the thought-provoking and deeply informative set of sessions at this year’s Harvard Climate Action Week. Grateful for the university’s and @harvardsalata.bsky.social’s leadership advancing climate and climate policy research despite headwinds. An overarching theme I take…(1/3)
Huge kudos to the National Academies and author team for publishing this report so promptly in response to EPA's notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the 2009 Endangerment Finding. The study's "Overarching Conclusion" screenshotted below is unambiguous:
nap.nationalacademies.org/read/29239/c...
nap.nationalacademies.org/read/29239/c...
September 17, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Huge kudos to the National Academies and author team for publishing this report so promptly in response to EPA's notice of proposed rulemaking regarding the 2009 Endangerment Finding. The study's "Overarching Conclusion" screenshotted below is unambiguous:
nap.nationalacademies.org/read/29239/c...
nap.nationalacademies.org/read/29239/c...
Love to come across equipment that’s collecting measurements in the wild (i.e., on the Minuteman Bikeway)! Though mildly disappointed to see data haven’t been collected at this site since September 2024.
waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-l...
waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-l...
September 13, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Love to come across equipment that’s collecting measurements in the wild (i.e., on the Minuteman Bikeway)! Though mildly disappointed to see data haven’t been collected at this site since September 2024.
waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-l...
waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-l...
Voters in New York City will have the chance to weigh in on three housing-related ballot measures this upcoming November. One measure, if it passes, would revise the city charter to "fast track affordable housing."
September 9, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Voters in New York City will have the chance to weigh in on three housing-related ballot measures this upcoming November. One measure, if it passes, would revise the city charter to "fast track affordable housing."
Looks like DHS's Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data open access platform is scheduled to be discontinued on September 30.
400+ public data sets on US critical infrastructure, free to download here for another few months.
hifld-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com
400+ public data sets on US critical infrastructure, free to download here for another few months.
hifld-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com
July 10, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Looks like DHS's Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data open access platform is scheduled to be discontinued on September 30.
400+ public data sets on US critical infrastructure, free to download here for another few months.
hifld-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com
400+ public data sets on US critical infrastructure, free to download here for another few months.
hifld-geoplatform.hub.arcgis.com
(e.g., China) invest in strategically-important sectors like solar, wind, batteries, OBBB takes a myopic view toward climate and will weaken the US's position both industrially and atmospherically.
E.g., EV and residential solar incentives' days are numbered..
www.utilitydive.com/news/house-p...
E.g., EV and residential solar incentives' days are numbered..
www.utilitydive.com/news/house-p...
July 4, 2025 at 4:44 PM
(e.g., China) invest in strategically-important sectors like solar, wind, batteries, OBBB takes a myopic view toward climate and will weaken the US's position both industrially and atmospherically.
E.g., EV and residential solar incentives' days are numbered..
www.utilitydive.com/news/house-p...
E.g., EV and residential solar incentives' days are numbered..
www.utilitydive.com/news/house-p...
Deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio are both projected to increase once OBBB becomes law.
In addition to saddling future generations (and mine) with higher US debt to fund these tax cuts, by rolling back IRA tax credits OBBB is poised to undermine US clean energy leadership.
As economic competitors...
In addition to saddling future generations (and mine) with higher US debt to fund these tax cuts, by rolling back IRA tax credits OBBB is poised to undermine US clean energy leadership.
As economic competitors...
July 4, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio are both projected to increase once OBBB becomes law.
In addition to saddling future generations (and mine) with higher US debt to fund these tax cuts, by rolling back IRA tax credits OBBB is poised to undermine US clean energy leadership.
As economic competitors...
In addition to saddling future generations (and mine) with higher US debt to fund these tax cuts, by rolling back IRA tax credits OBBB is poised to undermine US clean energy leadership.
As economic competitors...
My kind of town, Chicago is
June 26, 2025 at 11:36 PM
My kind of town, Chicago is
The 2025 State of the Nation's Housing report is incredibly information dense, also packed with illuminating (and good-looking!) figures. Here are four of my favorites on affordability, climate, and insurance.
Highly recommend reading the report and referring to the interactive figures 👇🏚️📈
Highly recommend reading the report and referring to the interactive figures 👇🏚️📈
June 25, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The 2025 State of the Nation's Housing report is incredibly information dense, also packed with illuminating (and good-looking!) figures. Here are four of my favorites on affordability, climate, and insurance.
Highly recommend reading the report and referring to the interactive figures 👇🏚️📈
Highly recommend reading the report and referring to the interactive figures 👇🏚️📈
“Feels like” temp in Cambridge, MA is already 35°C (95°F) at 10 a.m. today.
Took some surface temp measurements outside the @harvard-jchs.bsky.social offices, the shaded sidewalk corner on Mass Ave. is a whole 10.6°C (19°F) cooler than the unshaded one across the street.
Stay cool today! 🧊
Took some surface temp measurements outside the @harvard-jchs.bsky.social offices, the shaded sidewalk corner on Mass Ave. is a whole 10.6°C (19°F) cooler than the unshaded one across the street.
Stay cool today! 🧊
June 24, 2025 at 2:14 PM
“Feels like” temp in Cambridge, MA is already 35°C (95°F) at 10 a.m. today.
Took some surface temp measurements outside the @harvard-jchs.bsky.social offices, the shaded sidewalk corner on Mass Ave. is a whole 10.6°C (19°F) cooler than the unshaded one across the street.
Stay cool today! 🧊
Took some surface temp measurements outside the @harvard-jchs.bsky.social offices, the shaded sidewalk corner on Mass Ave. is a whole 10.6°C (19°F) cooler than the unshaded one across the street.
Stay cool today! 🧊
historic peak during the Biden administration. FEMA's HMGP was established via the Stafford Act in 1988 and in FY21 it obligated >$1 billion of hazard mitigation funds. More details on HMGP and FEMA's other HMA programs are in the below Miller et al. (2023) study. (2/2)
www.rand.org/content/dam/...
www.rand.org/content/dam/...
May 29, 2025 at 8:35 PM
historic peak during the Biden administration. FEMA's HMGP was established via the Stafford Act in 1988 and in FY21 it obligated >$1 billion of hazard mitigation funds. More details on HMGP and FEMA's other HMA programs are in the below Miller et al. (2023) study. (2/2)
www.rand.org/content/dam/...
www.rand.org/content/dam/...
NOAA's Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database has been listed for retirement "with no updates beyond calendar year 2024." This would be a gigantic loss. NOAA's database is widely-cited and heavily relied upon by industry, government, NGOs.
www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/docume...
www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/docume...
May 8, 2025 at 3:35 PM
NOAA's Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database has been listed for retirement "with no updates beyond calendar year 2024." This would be a gigantic loss. NOAA's database is widely-cited and heavily relied upon by industry, government, NGOs.
www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/docume...
www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/docume...
Also the vehicle ownership is quite high across the US, including among renters. While just ~8% of US households in the bottom quartile of net worth own their primary residence, nearly 70% own a vehicle.
www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/renters...
www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/renters...
April 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Also the vehicle ownership is quite high across the US, including among renters. While just ~8% of US households in the bottom quartile of net worth own their primary residence, nearly 70% own a vehicle.
www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/renters...
www.jchs.harvard.edu/blog/renters...
Former DHS Secretary Mayorkas speaking at @harvardkennedy.bsky.social remarks the potential dismantling of DHS (including FEMA) “would be a tragedy.”
When discussing climate change-exacerbated natural disasters, Sec. Mayorkas opines “where we need to study is long-term recovery.”
When discussing climate change-exacerbated natural disasters, Sec. Mayorkas opines “where we need to study is long-term recovery.”
March 5, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Former DHS Secretary Mayorkas speaking at @harvardkennedy.bsky.social remarks the potential dismantling of DHS (including FEMA) “would be a tragedy.”
When discussing climate change-exacerbated natural disasters, Sec. Mayorkas opines “where we need to study is long-term recovery.”
When discussing climate change-exacerbated natural disasters, Sec. Mayorkas opines “where we need to study is long-term recovery.”
New YouGov polling indicates overwhelming support for Ukraine among US respondents reporting an opinion.
Approval of federal agency terminations is largely split down the middle across party lines.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e...
Approval of federal agency terminations is largely split down the middle across party lines.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e...
March 2, 2025 at 3:03 PM
New YouGov polling indicates overwhelming support for Ukraine among US respondents reporting an opinion.
Approval of federal agency terminations is largely split down the middle across party lines.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e...
Approval of federal agency terminations is largely split down the middle across party lines.
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-e...