The Buy-In Resource Library
Welcome to the Buy-In Library!
The following resources provide a broad introduction to current research, new stories, and publications from leaders in the field. They have been categorized into four groups: General Reading, People, Housing, and Land. Each category engages with different sets of questions relating to buyout programs and climate adaptation.
The goal of this collection is to be as accessible as possible, and we provide a broad collection of open access publications in each category. We also reference subscription-based academic articles that provide unique perspectives, ideas, and analysis. These links are labeled as “Limited Access”, and provide users with a general summary and references. Open access resource links are labeled “Read Now”, and users can view the full report online.
This library is a work in progress, and we want to hear from you! If there’s a resource we missed that you think should be added to our collection, let us know by filling out the form at the bottom of the page.
General Reading
New to buyout programs, or want a refresher on the key issues?
General Reading covers all elements of a buyout program or the concept of managed retreat as a policy solution. These reports cover all thematic areas extensively and are recommended for those looking to be introduced to the topic of buyouts.
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Buy-In for Buyouts: The Case for Managed Retreat from Flood Zones
Robert Freudenberg, Ellis Calvin, Laura Tolkoff, and Dare Brawley; Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; 2016
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Case Studies in Floodplain Buyouts: Looking to best practices to drive the conversation in the Houston region
Grant Patterson; Rice University Kinder Institute; 2018
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On Safer Ground: Floodplain Buyouts and Community Resilience
Urban Land Institute; 2021
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Beyond Rebuilding: Planning for a Better Managed Retreat
Tim Robustelli, Yuliya Panfil, Katie Lund; New America; 2023
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Strategic Property Buyouts to Enhance Flood Resilience: Creating a Model for Flood Risk Reduction, Community Protection and Environmental Gains
The Nature Conservancy
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Higher Ground: A report on Voluntary Property Buyouts in the Nation’s Floodplains
David R. Conrad, Ben McNitt, Martha Stout; The National Wildlife Foundation; 1998
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A Historical Assessment of Home Buyout Policy: Are We Learning or Just Failing?
Greer and Binder; Housing Policy Debate; 2017
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Home Buyout Programs: Recommendations for Policy & Practice
Binder, Sherri Brokopp, Alex Greer, and Charlene Baker; 2018
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Flood Buyouts: Federal Funding for Property Acquisition
Diane Horn; Congressional Research Service; 2023
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Managed Retreat Toolkit
Georgetown Climate Center
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Innovations in Buyouts Workshops
Climigration Network
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Innovating to Make Home Buyouts Faster, Easier, and Fairer
Climigration Network
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Floodplain Buyouts: An Action Guide for Local Governments on How to Maximize Community Benefits, Habitat Connectivity, and Resilience
UNC Chapel Hill- Institute for the Environment and the Environmental Law Institute; 2017
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The Case for Retreat
Liz Koslov; Public Culture; 2016
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Complexities and costs of floodplain buyout implementation
William Curran-Groome, Miyuki Hino, Todd K. BenDor, David Salvesen; Land Use Policy; 2022
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Assessing the full costs of floodplain buyouts
William Curran-Groome, Hallee Haygood, Miyuki Hino1, Todd K. BenDor, David Salvesen; Climatic Change; 2021
People: Who wants to move?
The following resources focus specifically on the impacts that buyout programs have on people and communities affected by flooding, as well questions of equity in adaptation planning. This section may be of interest for planners or researchers looking to better understand how buyout programs might be improved to better serve affected communities.
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Going Under: Long Wait Times for Post-Flood Buyouts Leave Homeowners Underwater
Anna Weber and Rob Moore; National Resources Defense Council; 2019
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Unequal Retreats: How Racial Segregation Shapes Climate Adaptation
Loughran, Kevin, and James R. Elliott; Housing Policy Debate; 2022
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Differential Disadvantages in the Distribution of Federal Aid across Three Decades of Voluntary Buyouts in the United States
Nelson, K. S., and M. Molloy; Global Environmental Change; 2021
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Racial Inequities in the Federal Buyout of Flood-Prone Homes: A Nationwide Assessment of Environmental Adaptation
Elliott, James R., Phylicia Lee Brown, and Kevin Loughran; Socius; 2020
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(Mis)Trusting the Process: How Post-Disaster Home Buyout Processes Can Degrade Public Trust
Schwaller, Nora Louise, Leah Campbell, Mai Thi Nguyen, and Gavin Smith; Natural Hazards 111, no. 3; 2022
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Climate Justice and Home-Buyout Programs: Renters as a Forgotten Population in Managed Retreat Actions
Dundon, Leah A., and Janey S. Camp; Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 11, no. 3; 2021
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How the Government Fails Low-Income Renters after Natural Disasters
Amal Ahmed; Southerly; 2019
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Home buyouts and household recovery: Neighborhood differences three years after Hurricane Sandy
Binder, S. B., Barile, J. P., Baker, C. K., & Kulp, B.; Environmental Hazards; 2019
Housing: Where will they go?
Questions regarding housing are integral to the field of flood adaptation and buyout program planning. The following resources focus specifically on the effect of buyout programs on residential landscapes, and the underlying conditions influencing program outcomes.
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The Devaluation of Assets in Black Neighborhoods
Perry, Andre, Jonathan Rothwell, and David Harshbarger; Brookings Institution; 2018
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A Racist Past, a Flooded Future: Formerly Redlined Areas Have $107 Billion Worth of Homes Facing High Flood Risk—25% More Than Non-Redlined Areas
Lily Katz; Redfin Real Estate News; 2021
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Fractured Landscapes: The Racialization of Home Buyout Programs and Climate Adaptation
Zavar, Elyse, and Lauren Ames Fischer; Current Research in Environmental Sustainability 3; 2020
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Exploring the Role of Implementing Agencies in Home Buyouts: Process, Equity, and Inclusion in Program Design and Implementation
Binder, Sherri Brokopp, Alex Greer; Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado Boulder; 2018
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Managed retreat through voluntary buyouts of flood-prone properties
Mach, K. J., Kraan, C. M., Hino, M., Siders, A. R., Johnston, E. M., & Field, C. B.; Science Advances; 2019
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The effects of a voluntary property buyout and acquisition program on coastal housing markets: Evidence from New York
Hashida, Y., & Dundas, S. J. ; Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 121, 102873; 2023
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Residential property value impacts of floodplain buyouts in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Pierce Holloway, W., & BenDor, T. K; Journal of Environmental Management; 2023
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Planning for Equitable Climate Relocation: Gaps in Knowledge and a Proposal for Future Directions
Lieberknecht, K., & Mueller, E. J; Journal of Planning Literature; 2023
Land: What happens to the land that gets left behind?
After a buyout happens, what gets left behind and how it is used often influence public perspective on the success of the program. Land use options range from wetland restoration to parks and open space, all for the purpose of reducing future flood impacts. Resources in this section dive into this topic in greater detail and might be of interest to conservation organizations or design professionals looking to help develop adaptive reuse plans.
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What Do We Do with the Land Left Behind? XSP for Floodplain Buyout Parcels
Kelly Leilani Main, Risa Hiser, Victoria Woods, Osamu Kumasaka, Maggie Tsang, and Isaac Stein; Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Buy-In; 2022
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Land Use Change on U.S. Floodplain Buyout Sites, 1990-2000
Zavar, Elyse, and Ronald R. Hagelman III; Disaster Prevention and Management; 2016
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More Than Just An Eyesore: Local Insights And Solutions on Vacant Land And Urban Health
Garvin, Eugenia, Charles Branas, Shimrit Keddem, Jeffrey Sellman, and Carolyn Cannuscio; Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine; 2013
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An analysis of floodplain buyout memorials
Elyse Zavar; GeoJournal; 2019
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Architectures of Mis/Managed Retreat: Black Land Loss to Green Housing Gains.
Aidoo, Fallon S; Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences; 2021
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High-tide flooding disrupts local economic activity
Hino, M., Belanger, S. T., Field, C. B., Davies, A. R., & Mach, K. J.; Science Advances 5(2); 2019
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Growing Safely or Building Risk?
Hino, M., BenDor, T. K., Branham, J., Kaza, N., Sebastian, A., & Sweeney, S.; Journal of the American Planning Association; 2023
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Biophilia as climate justice for post-buyout land management
Dascher, E. D., Zavar, E., Greer, A., & Binder, S. B; Applied Geography (Sevenoaks); 2023