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(Mis)trusting the process: how post-disaster home buyout processes can degrade public trust

Author

Listed:
  • Nora Louise Schwaller

    (University of North Carolina)

  • Leah Campbell

    (University of North Carolina)

  • Mai Thi Nguyen

    (UC San Diego)

  • Gavin Smith

    (North Carolina State University)

Abstract

Federally funded housing buyout programs are the dominant method of government-supported retreat in the USA. Done correctly, buyouts can reduce pre-disaster vulnerability and facilitate post-disaster recovery. However, the success of buyout programs hinges on successful coordination and implementation by local administrators, who represent buyout participants, manage the buyout process at the community level, and connect them to state and federal resources. Because of this, trust between local administrators and the members of their communities is crucial for project participation and successful outcomes. While local administrators play a critical role in the buyout program, their role in building trust throughout the process has been an understudied aspect of the buyout literature. To address this gap, our paper examines the perceptions of local buyout administrators related to trust. This is done through a study of the conditions following Hurricane Matthew’s landfall in North Carolina, USA, in 2016 using in-depth interviews with 18 local HMGP administrators, and an analysis of over 300 local newspaper articles to study how trust is built and lost in the buyout process. Our findings indicate that a lack of program clarity, unclear communication about the program’s guidelines across all levels of governments, and extended time frames deteriorated public trust in a manner that hindered program success and diminished program results.

Suggested Citation

  • Nora Louise Schwaller & Leah Campbell & Mai Thi Nguyen & Gavin Smith, 2022. "(Mis)trusting the process: how post-disaster home buyout processes can degrade public trust," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 111(3), pages 2681-2702, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:111:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11069-021-05153-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-021-05153-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul Slovic, 1993. "Perceived Risk, Trust, and Democracy," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(6), pages 675-682, December.
    2. Sherri Brokopp Binder & Alex Greer, 2016. "The Devil Is in the Details: Linking Home Buyout Policy, Practice, and Experience After Hurricane Sandy," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 97-106.
    3. Alex Greer & Sherri Brokopp Binder, 2017. "A Historical Assessment of Home Buyout Policy: Are We Learning or Just Failing?," Housing Policy Debate, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 372-392, May.
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