Inequity in Action: A Quantitative Analysis of the Implementation of State Hazard Mitigation Plans
Abstract
As disasters become more frequent, intense, and costly, all levels of government are incentivized to reduce disaster risk. FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides competitive funding to cover much of the cost of mitigation projects after presidentially declared disasters. By creating a database of mitigation priorities (as quantified in FEMA-mandated state hazard mitigation plans) and analyzing their correlation with the actual distribution of HMGP funding, this thesis finds that there is no statistically significant relationship between priorities established for mitigation funding and the way it is ultimately spent. This lack of correlation is a negative impact of grant cost sharing. By requiring participating governments to provide a significant portion of the funding, federal law limits participation by poorer jurisdictions, regardless of how much money those projects may save FEMA in the long term. By eliminating the cost-sharing requirement and funding the entirety of selected projects, Congress would increase the pool of potential participants, make critical mitigation assistance available to under-resourced communities, and increase the value of the program by empowering states to select only the most valuable projects for funding.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1212970
Entities
People
- Katherine H. Norris
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School