Family and social support
Social support is the practical help you could actually call on, not just the people you like.
Why it matters
- Households with reliable backup recover faster from the same shock.
- Support is most useful when it is specific: a spare room, a school pickup, a short loan.
- Isolation multiplies the cost of every other resilience gap.
What we measure
- Someone who could help with childcare or eldercare on short notice
- A place to stay temporarily if your home became unusable
- Someone you could ask for short-term financial help
- Help available with transport or errands during an illness
- People who know your situation well enough to help without a briefing
Practical steps
Name three people for three needs
One for care, one for logistics, one for housing. Vague networks fail under pressure.
Make it mutual
Offer specific help first. Reciprocal arrangements hold up better than one-sided ones.
Share your emergency plan
Give one trusted person the outline of what you would do and who to contact.
Join one local group
Neighborhood, faith, school, or hobby. Proximity matters in a disruption.
Common questions
Why does social support count as resilience?
It substitutes for money and services during a disruption, covering care, housing, and logistics that a household cannot handle alone.
What if I have no local family?
Build proximity-based support instead: neighbors, coworkers, school or community groups, and clear reciprocal arrangements.
Score your household
The five-minute check gives you a score for this dimension and a tailored action list.
Take the Household Resilience Check →