Procedural Inequity in Disaster Recovery Spending by Christopher T. Emrich, Ph.D. GISP
To date, there has been no large-scale study of inequities concerning disaster aid allocation across multiple regions and disasters within the United States. Additionally, there is a paucity of research specifically connecting social indicators of vulnerability to public assistance grants aimed at restoring, rebuilding, and mitigating against future damages in disasters. Given these gaps, this article inquires as to whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s public assistance program is characterized by disparate outcomes for counties with more socially vulnerable populations. Specifically, this article analyzes county level FEMA Public Assistance distribution following major disaster declarations, while controlling for damages sustained, population, and household counts. Results indicate that FEMA’s Public Assistance program operates well when accounting only for disaster losses across the years. However, findings also show that county social conditions influence funding receipt pinpointing several cases of procedural inequities. While socioeconomic characteristics were significant drivers of assistance spending, additional vulnerability indicators related to county demographics and built environment characteristics were also important drivers of receipt. Implications for equitable disaster recovery are discussed along with recommendations.
Presentations will be delivered starting at 12:00 p.m., with discussion to follow. Feel free to bring your lunch. HPA II 247 is reserved 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
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