Rationale and processes of residential buyout programs: A review on buyout regulations and consequences in Japan and the U.S.

Abstract

Government acquisition of residential land has played a growing role in the reconstruction of housing in safer places and reduction of water-related risks. This paper explores how the rationales and processes of residential buyouts may result in different consequences for coastal recovery, mitigation, and residents' wellbeing referring to government documents and existing literature, we explored the characteristics of buyout programs in Japan and the U.S., identified consequences of mitigation and recovery, and deduced the effects of community buyouts. Our study revealed buyout programs could reduce risk exposure, enhance sustainable and resilient coastal rewilding, housing recovery, and building of community resilience. However, they could also contribute to limiting homeowners' opportunities to make their own choices to stay or relocate, the distribution of residents into unfamiliar communities, creation of checkerboard patterns of acquired properties, and un-utilized vast vacant lands. These results suggest that planners and disaster managers need careful consideration to redesign and manage property acquisition programs that not only increase regional resilience, but also are equitable for affected residents and utilization of acquired lands.