Study Reveals Communication Failures in Harris County Buyout Program, Negative Impact on Participant Well-Being

AUSTIN, Texas—Participants interviewed in the Harris County Post-Disaster Relocation and Buyout Program experienced significant programmatic challenges and negative mental and physical health impacts, according to a new report by Texas Appleseed, Ronquillo Consulting Group, and researchers at Texas A&M University’s Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center. 

The first report from the Harris County Home Buyout Study highlights the experiences of 20 participants in the Harris County Post-Disaster Relocation and Buyout Program. Residents' voices and expert perspectives provide insights into how communities can adapt to and prepare for worsening floods in a way that is just and humane. The report is also available in Spanish.

Harris County has been acquiring properties through voluntary buyout programs for decades, but in 2020, the County initiated a mandatory home buyout program in flood-prone areas. The program enables the County to buy residents’ homes, offer relocation packages, and convert the properties to green space to mitigate future flood damage. 

“Six of the eight census tracts in this program are majority Hispanic or Latino, so we see this population shouldering a disproportionate amount of the financial, mental, physical, and emotional burden that accompanies a mandatory relocation,” said Meg Duffy, senior policy analyst for Texas Appleseed’s Disaster Recovery and Fair Housing Project. 

“Initiating an extremely disruptive program in a pandemic was the harshest situation families faced in such uncertain times. No amount of money the County offered left any family whole,” said Shirley Ronquillo, principal consultant for Ronquillo Consulting Group. 

Programmatic Challenges
The buyout process was incredibly difficult for many families. Participants described not receiving clear communication about the buyout program’s benefits and process, experiencing difficulties with the program support provided by Harris County, and not receiving sufficient funding to successfully navigate the buyout process. 

Language barriers and miscommunications were major challenges throughout the home buyout process. Although the majority of residents in most buyout sites speak Spanish, the County’s outreach was conducted primarily in English. Spanish-speaking participants in the study expressed concerns about their inability to understand English notices. One participant said, “Since my husband and I speak a little bit of English this way, we understood that they were going to take us out. But the rest of the information we didn’t know.”

Initially, buyout program participants were told that the process would only take around six months, so many stopped making repairs to their storm-damaged properties. However, for some, the process ultimately lasted more than two years. These delays caused people to live in substandard housing longer than expected, leading to negative health impacts. 

Participants say that relocation specialists — third-party staff hired by the County to assist them — were poorly trained, unresponsive, had high turnover rates, and were not knowledgeable about the program. Participants described going long periods without hearing from their relocation specialists, having to resubmit the same paperwork when a new specialist was assigned to them, and relocation specialists who did not know the program rules or their case specifics.

Despite assurances from the County that residents would not incur new debts from the program, participants described receiving relocation packages that were insufficient to purchase a home of similar or better quality to the one they left. Of the 16 study participants who reported their final financial package, the median amount received was $247,500. In 2023, the median home sales price in Harris County was $315,000, with just 25.75% of available homes priced under $250,000. 

Eleven of 20 participants described experiencing financial hardship during the mandatory home buyout program due to expenses associated with the buyout process, insufficient compensation for their home and relocation expenses, and unanticipated expenses associated with their new homes and neighborhoods. These expenses were difficult to bear as many of the participants were low-income, making between $25,000 and $50,000 per year.

“Flood buyouts can help reduce risk, but they don’t affect everyone the same way,” said Shannon Van Zandt, a professor at Texas A&M University. “For low-income and vulnerable communities, they can lead to displacement and the loss of vital support networks. We need to understand these impacts to make sure recovery efforts are fair and don’t leave anyone behind.”

Impact on Well-Being
Fifteen of 20 participants (75%) reported that their or their families’ physical or mental health was negatively impacted by their participation in the mandatory home buyout program. Increased stress, disrupted access to child care and health care, loss of community, a sense of injustice, and financial hardship all reportedly damaged resident well-being.

After neighbors began relocating, residents mourned the loss of their community, increased distance from family, and isolation. One participant lamented, “It was really, really sad...My kids won’t have those memories because this neighborhood’s not going to be here. Nobody’s going to be here.”

Participants also reported feeling discriminated against by the County. During the study, one participant filed an administrative civil rights complaint against Harris County, and although the case settled and no judgment was made, the filing demonstrates the injustice felt by community members.

Recommendations
Based on the interviews and participant suggestions, recommendations include involving communities in flood management decision-making to ensure that community needs are met. Home buyouts should be voluntary and fairly compensated. When designing a buyout program, the process should be simple, transparent, just, and humane.

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About Texas Appleseed
As one of the most trusted resources for data-driven policy analysis and solutions, Texas Appleseed advocates at the state and local level for fair, just, and equitable laws. Our work has shaped hundreds of laws and positively affected millions of Texans by breaking down barriers through transformative policy solutions. Visit www.TexasAppleseed.org for more information.

About Ronquillo Consulting Group LLC
Ronquillo Consulting Group LLC (RCG) was founded on a mission to give power back to communities by amplifying their voices. Through expert facilitation, training, and comprehensive interpretation services, RCG is dedicated to increasing community influence and advocating for residents’ power.

About the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center at Texas A&M University
The Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center (HRRC) at Texas A&M University advances interdisciplinary research to reduce community vulnerability to natural and technological hazards. Founded in 1988, HRRC promotes disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery through education, applied research, and collaboration with agencies and communities worldwide.