Is the U.S. ecosocial safety net inequitable?: Comparing the Individuals and Households and National Flood Insurance programs.

This study investigates inequities in the US ecosocial safety net, specifically, FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP), which aids households impacted by natural hazards. Using county-level data from 2009 to 2022, the study models the relationship between IHP expenditures per recipient and county-level demographic and socioeconomic factors. This research extends prior work by accounting for time dependence, extending the extant study time frame, including hazards that both did and did not receive IHP funding, and conducting subgroup analysis by hazard type. The results reveal that counties with larger Black and older populations receive less funding per recipient, while those with higher poverty rates receive more. These disparities persist across IHP’s subprograms, Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance. Further analysis by hazard type (floods, hurricanes, severe storms) indicates that aid distribution varies based on the nature of the hazard. The findings suggest that the US ecosocial safety net may inherit inequities found in the US welfare state. The study calls for policy reforms to create a more equitable distribution of aid, with future research needed to explore the causes of these disparities and their individual-level impacts.

Recommended citation: Brown, C. T., Nepomnyashcy, L., Patel, A. S. (working). Is the U.S. ecosocial safety net inequitable?: Comparing the Individuals and Households and National Flood Insurance programs.