Manda, S. orcid.org/0000-0001-6064-114X, Jerolleman, A. and Marino, E. (2023) Assumptions and Understanding of Success in Home Buyout Programs. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 95. 103863. ISSN 2212-4209
Abstract
In the US, the role and importance of voluntary buyout and property acquisition programs (buyouts) as a policy tool to relocate property owners out of flood risk riverine and coastal environments has increased since the 1990s, but how federal and other agencies frame success remains less understood. This review paper uses the case of an early implementation of a buyout program that encompassed a portion of Valmeyer to illustrate how success has been framed, and why. Analysis shows definitions of success by different actors emphasized acquisition of properties, construction of new residential and business areas including the incorporation of sustainable building technologies, as well as future avoidance of disaster costs. These definitions, however, become problematic when considering what is left out or overlooked, including socio-economic elements that may be relevant for recovery. Success is framed narrowly, focusing far more on the removal of families from floodplains, and less on eventual outcomes for those families. This may undermine critical community voices and effective forms of recovery. There are important questions that remain unanswered including questions about the lost sense of community, disruptions to social networks, and how buyouts implicate land-use dynamics. We draw attention to crucial, but overlooked elements in the construction of success including potential harms that may flow from assumptions of success.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Disaster recovery; Flood disaster; Property acquisition; Successful relocation; Voluntary buyout programs; USA |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Politics & International Studies (POLIS) (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 18 Jul 2023 13:45 |
Last Modified: | 22 Nov 2024 10:50 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103863 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:201563 |