Case Study: SP Group achieves targeted, equitable Hurricane Harvey recovery by identifying greatest-need neighborhoods with Experian data

SP Group - Customer Case Study

SP Group, a DC‑area management consulting firm specializing in data analytics and housing market research, was asked to support equitable recovery after Hurricane Harvey (Aug 2017). The challenge was that damage was concentrated in some neighborhoods while others already had limited resources, so recovery programs needed a way to target aid to the areas of greatest need rather than distributing assistance uniformly.

SP Group combined FEMA preliminary damage assessments with Experian data (ConsumerView and CAPE) to map damage concentration by Census tract and compute a Neighborhood Distress Index (unemployment, poverty, income, education). They found ~10% of impacted tracts accounted for 70% of damaged buildings and identified high‑damage, high‑distress tracts with about $372M in housing value at risk (average home price $87K; average income ~$27K). The analysis enabled a targeted relief approach for programs like HUD CDBG‑DR, produced actionable insights for policymakers, and was shared with stakeholders and media.

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