Building Resilience in Little Rock: Disaster Preparedness for Vulnerable Communities

Earlier this month, David Canavan traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, along with human services consultant Darlene Mathews, to pilot new community planning and awareness tools for leading homelessness prevention organization NAEH. Our dialogue with community-based organizations like Providence Park, the City of Little Rock, and local healthcare leaders echoed a shared concern: alterations to funding criteria and household eligibility for core social safety net programs like SNAP and Medicaid are disrupting essential community services.

The goal: Protect vulnerable populations in the face of uncertainties in federal funding and preserve local decision-making. This imperative isn’t just for Little Rock, communities across the country must act now to understand how changes to national programs will impact their families.

Why Now?

When local leaders convene discussions with transparency, honest communication and collaboration it is clear we are united in our concerns for elders, children, and other vulnerable members of our community. It is also clear that without planning, these changes will hit jurisdictions with all the confusion and turmoil of a natural disaster or disease outbreak. With federal funding shifts looming, communities like Little Rock face intense strain on already limited resources. Access to shelter, food and medical care are at risk—and preparation for these risks is essential. Most communities needed to be collecting information and scenario planning yesterday.

What We Did

Ahead of the dialogue, we circulated a survey to establish baseline situational awareness: What is happening in our food security programs? What about our healthcare programs?  How are these programs interdependent and vital to the health of our families?  During the session, we:

• Reviewed the survey results together to ground the discussion in local realities.

• Explored the unique risks facing Little Rock—from healthcare system strain to housing voucher disruptions.

• Introduced a decision support tool framework that helps stakeholders visualize how disruptions in sheltering and housing ripple through the community.

• Discussed strategies to prioritize resources and strengthen safety net systems before disaster strikes.

  
  

What We Heard

Participants underscored the importance of:

• Cross-sector coordination between city leaders, healthcare systems, nonprofits, and faith-based partners.

• Building stronger collaborative structures to withstand federal funding volatility.

• Planning for winter shelter needs and mental health crisis capacity—two areas where service gaps intensify risks.

  
  

Moving Forward

The Little Rock community has already demonstrated deep commitment to collaboration and innovation. With strengthened decision-making tools and shared strategies, local leaders are better positioned to safeguard vulnerable populations and sustain critical systems during periods of uncertainty.

Preparedness is not just about responding to crises—it’s about building resilience into the very fabric of community systems. Little Rock is taking important steps toward that goal, and we’re proud to be part of the journey.

To learn more about our partners and teams we met with: Darlene Mathews, National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), Errin Stanger, FranSha Anderson, Arlo Washingston, Dr. Lee Wilbur