As a residential housing provider, one of the first questions I asked myself was “where did the hijackers live and who knew them as humans.” The events of 9-11 reinforced and reconfirmed the need to know my tenants as well as the status of all people on the properties. There now is the realization that awareness of who is residing on the landlord’s property is an issue of not only local/neighborhood security but now national security as well.

Another impact on housing is the need to fully understand insurance coverage and then facing the insurance rate increases the insurance companies attribute to 9-11. Another property business impact is what appears to be a disregard of every governmental jurisdiction to side on the need for caution when implementing their budgetary requests. After 9-11 one might expect the major freight rail companies (owners of most rail track and right-of-way) and Amtrak (the national rail passenger service) to agree that a viable passenger rail service must be improved and expanded. To date, the freight companies appear insistent in their position of non-cooperation with Amtrak and Amtrak appears insistent on curtailing rail service, a disappointment of national ramification.

James C. Dunn, Lawrence