Statement by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan
On Launch of Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities Challenge
May 14, 2013

"I applaud the Rockefeller Foundation for their extraordinary work over the past 100 years and I look forward to working with them on the '100 Resilient Cities Challenge' they launched today. Communities must plan for resiliency - to protect themselves, limit the impact of future disasters, and address underlying community needs. The challenge announced today provides critical investments to help 100 cities do just that.

"I am especially pleased that the framework for the challenge, and the work that will be accomplished by it, builds on the coordination between HUD and the Rockefeller Foundation following several catastrophic events, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Sandy. In particular, the Rockefeller Foundation has been a tremendous partner to the Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, which I chair, in our work to ensure we rebuild after Sandy in a way that makes communities stronger, more sustainable and better able to withstand the next storm. With the launch of this initiative—including a $100 million dollar investment in urban resilience—the Rockefeller Foundation is helping to provide cities across the world with the financial resources and technical expertise to implement significant resilience strategies."

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