Better Buyouts Working Group

Home buyouts are the country’s primary tool for supporting families to move out of harm’s way, but community members, researchers, practitioners, and advocates have long observed big problems and inequities in these programs.

It's been difficult to turn lessons from past home buyouts into better outcomes for communities in the future. Residents and local government officials have called for more knowledge sharing, peer support, and collaboration across communities. Without this support and guidance, local governments are left to reinvent the wheel with each new buyout program, often in stressful times after a disaster when need is high and capacity is low. 

As demand for relocation support is growing in many areas, we need to draw from the wisdom and experiences of community members and practitioners alike to build better buyout programs that meet our communities’ needs. 

The Better Buyouts Working Group is a growing national coalition of residents, community organizers, and buyout practitioners working together to improve home buyouts by creating tools and resources for communities, shaping national policy, and responding to emergent needs in members’ communities. It is a shared space for learning, solidarity, and action – so that no community is alone and unsupported through a buyout process. 

get involved

Are you a community member, organizer, or practitioner looking to share your experiences with home buyouts, learn from others, and collaborate to improve buyout programs? Please fill out this interest form, and we will reach out to set up a short call. 

Note: The Climigration Network offers stipends to community members in the Working Group as well as simultaneous interpretation in meetings. Please let us know if there are other resources or support that would help you engage.

Working Group Leadership & Coordination

When residents and community leaders, government staff, technical experts, and national partners build governance together, they create tools and ways of working that are more just, sustainable, and culturally aligned.

The Better Buyouts Working Group (BBWG) is shaped by its members, all bringing personal and/or professional experience with buyout programs, and led by a Steering Committee of community leaders and buyout practitioners. The group is hosted within the Climigration Network and supported by a facilitation team, including Pam Rivera from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Shameika Hanson from The Nature Conservancy, Carri Hulet, and Anna Weber. 

Questions? Interested in learning more?
Please reach out to the Climigration Network at info@climigration.org

Learn More from Members

How We Got STarted: 2021-23 Workshops

Buyout Program Manager & Practitioner Workshops

From December 2021-June 2022, NRDC, FEMA staff, and CH Consulting held six workshops with over 30 buyout professionals from across the country, including current and former federal, state, and local employees, and a few individuals from academic and private organizations with extensive expertise in buyout processes. 

Participants’ big takeaway: Buyouts should be designed as true programs, not projects. This requires institutional support at the state, regional, and/or local scale. Participants identified five key shifts to move towards buyout "programs, not projects”:

1. Plan for buyouts by incorporating them into existing planning processes

2. Prepare for buyouts by front-loading work in a pre-disaster context

3. Design for equity from the very beginning to meet communities’ needs

4. Diversify funding sources to be faster and more flexible

5. Build multi-disciplinary teams and partnerships

Find the white paper “Innovating to Make Home Buyouts Faster, Easier, and Fairer (2022)” and complementary federal policy recommendations here.

Buyout Participants & Community Leader Workshops

From July-October 2022, 12 individuals with first-hand experience of a government-financed buyout of their home (both voluntary and mandatory) came together for three virtual conversations with partners from NRDC, TNC, and the Climigration Network. 

Participants shared very different experiences with buyout programs – including why they were in a buyout program, how their families' needs were (or were not) met, what resources they could access, and how they felt during and after. Together, they diagnosed and proposed treatments for common challenges. Their recommendations include:

1. Buyout recipients need a person they can call who is reliable, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and easily accessible.

2. Buyouts should cover all expenses, and the funding should be used wisely.

3. Accessible, informative, and proactive communication about buyout programs is essential.

4. Buyout programs should be designed around fairness.

5. Prevent the need for buyouts by building homes in safe locations.

Find the report “Improving Home Buyouts - Lessons Learned from Experience (2023)” in English and Spanish here.

Workshop Partners

• Anna Weber and Rob Moore at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Lead convener and host of both workshops

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): FEMA Staff provided background on grant funding for acquisitions (buyouts) and current statutory / regulatory framework

• Carri Hulet at CH Consulting: Lead designer and facilitator of buyout program manager workshop, Co-designer and facilitator of buyout recipient workshop

• Shameika Hanson at The Nature Conservancy (TNC): Co-designer and facilitator of buyout recipient workshop

• Climigration Network: Co-designer of buyout recipient workshop, Host of March 1st event to share findings

• Tecolotl: Spanish-English interpretation and translation services

• Funders: These workshops were made possible with support from the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation. Through the Climigration Network, the JPB Foundation provided funding to compensate buyout recipients for their time, participation, and wisdom.