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A 2026 study published in Science Advances by Rachel Young found FEMA's disaster buyout program successfully relocates residents and avoids future damages, but benefits are unevenly distributed. Participants from higher-income areas are more likely to move and relocate to better opportunities, while those from majority-Black or low-income neighborhoods face lower relocation rates and smaller improvements. The average buyout payment was $40,583 in Black-majority areas versus $93,977 in white-majority areas, and the program is not reaching millions of affected people.

Key points

The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has spent over $6 billion on more than 53,000 properties since 1988.

Program participants are 20 percentage points more likely to relocate within five years compared to similar non-participants, though this gap narrowed over time but persisted for at least 15 years.

Context

FEMA's disaster buyout program was established in 1988 to encourage homeowners to relocate from disaster-prone areas, aiming to avoid repeated federal disaster aid payments. The study analyzes data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and ProPublica to assess program effectiveness and equity.

Limitations

The study relies on a mix of private and public data with limited scope. It does not account for long-term outcomes beyond five years, and the research is a preprint in Science Advances. The analysis focuses on specific demographic disparities but does not explain the root causes of inequities.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 11/11/2026, 19:17:28 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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FEMA’s disaster buyout program is working — but there’s a catch

Briefings

Key points

Context

Limitations