With increasingly severe flood events, Canadian communities require a full range of tools to protect people and property. Property buyout programs—which involve the relocation of high-risk neighbourhoods via the government acquisition of property—are considered among the most effective forms of risk management since they directly reduce exposure to flooding. However, buyout programs are often resisted by local governments and their citizens. For local governments, buying out property is expensive and takes away a source of tax revenue. While for citizens, home buyouts can be traumatic and might mean abandoning a home or neighbourhood lived in for generations.
That is why in 2020, Partners for Action began a research project funded by the Max Bell Foundation to draw on lessons for current and past property buyout programs and to highlight the trade-offs governments must consider when designing new programs.
After a culmination of two years of research, we are pleased to announce the launch of the final report.
Please join us on Wednesday, April 12th at 1pm ET where Associate Professor Jason Thistlethwaite will be joined by Graham Watt, Manager of Strategic Initiatives/Flood Recovery at the City of Grand Forks, to discuss main findings and recommendations for future buyout programs.