Home buyouts and household recovery: neighborhood differences three years after Hurricane Sandy

When rebuilding no longer means recovery: the stress of staying put after Hurricane Sandy

“…Baker et al (74) find that Staten Island participants’ sense of agency decreased over the course of the program, which introduced new stressors, including final compensation amounts that proved insufficient for some residents to start over in a comparable location. Due to the lengthy timeline of most buyout programs, it is likely that some of our survey participants were still in the midst of leaving their old homes and transitioning to new ones; more longitudinal studies are needed to understand potential increases in stress over time for those who move, as they may struggle to develop ties in new places (Binder et al 2019 ), or face increased housing instability in the future (Elliott and Howell 2017 ). While Oakwood Beach residents reported satisfaction with the buyout when surveyed in general terms, interviews revealed mixed feelings (Baker et al 2018 ).…”

“…The bulk of research on post-disaster migration examines cases of sudden displacement and forced relocation, experiences of which may differ markedly from the managed, voluntary movement that buyout programs, in theory, enable. There are few direct comparisons between individuals who receive support to relocate and those who do not and scarce research into the experiences of such individuals and their communities over time (for important exceptions, see Binder et al 2019 ; Barile et al 2020 ). These gaps are crucial to address given disaster recovery’s nonlinear nature, and as climate change alters baseline conditions, making extreme events less exceptional and subjecting growing numbers to recurring trauma and dislocation (Arcaya et al 2020 ; Klinenberg et al 2020 ).…”

“… 1 Binder et al ( 2019 ) conducted a similar post-Sandy study, surveying respondents from three New York City neighborhoods—one that received a buyout, one adjacent to the buyout zone, and one that prioritized rebuilding in place—and comparing measures of place attachment, social capital, and risk perception. Our study, conducted at approximately the same time, complements this by drawing from a larger sample of neighborhoods—multiple buyout areas, plus nearby, though not adjacent, areas where residents sought buyouts, and three areas focused on rebuilding with no buyout option—and comparing a range of social, economic, and health outcomes.…”

Climate Disruption and Planning: Resistance or Retreat?

“…This muddling can also result in less-than-desirable outcomes for the people who relocate. For example, relocations have moved people far away from their livelihoods, into homes that did not support their cultural practices, through programs that take years to complete, or divide a community in ways that cause mental stress (Binder, Barile, Baker, & Kulp, 2019;.…”

Successful Small-Scale Household Relocation after a Millennial Flood Event in Simbach, Germany 2016

“…Planned relocation of communities, groups, or individuals can be implemented appropriately, as long as certain aspects are considered [30]. In the United States (US), planned relocation is an effective strategy to overcome global changes via land use and regional planning principles-especially with regard to climate change adaption [31][32][33]. Nevertheless, relocation causes intensive social and economic impacts to individual well-being and socio-economic performances [9,[14][15][16]28,34].…”