Does government-assisted relocation help households.

FEMA property acquisition (“buyout”) is linked to higher relocation outside designated flood hazard areas and short-term debt and neighborhood improvements, with benefit-cost ratios of 0.84–1.28.

• Why it matters: Evidence is limited on whether government-assisted relocation actually reduces flood exposure and improves household well-being, especially given concerns about uneven social impacts.
• What they did: Using nationwide longitudinal US records tracking households before and after FEMA approval, the study compares participants to households with similar mapped flood risks to estimate changes in relocation, high-risk residence, and financial outcomes.
• The result: Participants relocate more quickly and achieve larger risk reductions, but benefits are concentrated among households from wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods; benefit-cost ratios vary from 0.84 to 1.28 across three scenarios.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.