@article{schwaller_campbell_nguyen_smith_2022, title={(Mis)trusting the process: how post-disaster home buyout processes can degrade public trust}, ISSN={["1573-0840"]}, DOI={10.1007/s11069-021-05153-2}, abstractNote={Federally funded housing buyout programs are the dominant method of government-supported retreat in the USA. Done correctly, buyouts can reduce pre-disaster vulnerability and facilitate post-disaster recovery. However, the success of buyout programs hinges on successful coordination and implementation by local administrators, who represent buyout participants, manage the buyout process at the community level, and connect them to state and federal resources. Because of this, trust between local administrators and the members of their communities is crucial for project participation and successful outcomes. While local administrators play a critical role in the buyout program, their role in building trust throughout the process has been an understudied aspect of the buyout literature. To address this gap, our paper examines the perceptions of local buyout administrators related to trust. This is done through a study of the conditions following Hurricane Matthew’s landfall in North Carolina, USA, in 2016 using in-depth interviews with 18 local HMGP administrators, and an analysis of over 300 local newspaper articles to study how trust is built and lost in the buyout process. Our findings indicate that a lack of program clarity, unclear communication about the program’s guidelines across all levels of governments, and extended time frames deteriorated public trust in a manner that hindered program success and diminished program results.}, journal={NATURAL HAZARDS}, author={Schwaller, Nora Louise and Campbell, Leah and Nguyen, Mai Thi and Smith, Gavin}, year={2022}, month={Jan} }
 @article{vila_smith_cutts_gyawali_bhattarai_2022, title={Equity in FEMA hazard mitigation assistance programs: The role of state hazard mitigation officers}, volume={136}, ISSN={["1873-6416"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.envsci.2022.07.027}, abstractNote={FEMA provides hundreds of millions of dollars for hazard mitigation projects annually through their Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs. HMA funding is most accessible to resource-rich communities leaving historically underserved communities that are often more vulnerable to disasters less able to obtain federal mitigation funding. This research highlights the results of a national survey conducted with 43 State Hazard Mitigation Officers (SHMOs), assigned state-level leaders who can have great influence on mitigation equity within their state. The survey explored the role of states and territories in facilitating mitigation equity in FEMA HMA programs using a three-pillar environmental justice framework (recognition, procedural justice, and distributional justice). The results indicate state-level shortcomings, including limited understanding of underserved communities, poor procedures for identifying and engaging with underserved communities, and limited local engagement in state- or territory-sponsored conferences, trainings, meetings, and policy discussions. The results yield insight into some of the underlying processes through which inequities in federal support for mitigation emerge and provide guidance to address shortcomings. These findings have important implications for federal- and state-level policy aiming to promote equity in hazard mitigation. Specifically, they point to the need for assessments of the needs, values, and priorities of low-capacity communities, identification and outreach strategies tailored to those communities, and increased financial and technical assistance for equity-focused actions. This study underscores the value of environmental justice research in decision-making associated with multi- billion- dollar federal grant programs. • SHMO’s recognition of low-capacity communities is relatively limited. • Engagement processes are not tailored to the qualities of those communities. • Assistance for recognition-based activities is necessary for equitable outcomes.}, journal={ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY}, author={Vila, Olivia and Smith, Gavin and Cutts, Bethany and Gyawali, Samata and Bhattarai, Samiksha}, year={2022}, month={Oct}, pages={632–641} }
 @article{smith_vila_2022, title={Governors and Hazard Mitigation Grants Management: Observations of State and Local Officials}, volume={23}, ISSN={["1527-6996"]}, DOI={10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000587}, abstractNote={This paper describes hazard mitigation grants management activities undertaken by governors, an area that remains understudied. Governors play important roles in other grants management activities, and these actions have the potential to improve hazard mitigation shortcomings. Findings were derived from two projects: (1) a national survey of State Hazard Mitigation Officers (SHMOs) that explored their perceptions of the role of governors in the implementation of federal hazard mitigation programs and policies, and (2) semistructured interviews with individuals who were involved in the implementation of innovative local hazard mitigation grant programs. SHMO survey responses indicate limited engagement in several activities related to FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants. The results of the semistructured interviews show that some governors play important roles in hazard mitigation grants management activities, including facilitating partnerships and governance strategies, guiding state hazard mitigation priorities, and negotiating and securing hazard mitigation funding. Further research is needed to understand why governors assume active or passive roles in hazard mitigation grants management activities.}, number={4}, journal={NATURAL HAZARDS REVIEW}, author={Smith, Gavin and Vila, Olivia}, year={2022}, month={Nov} }
 @article{smith_saunders_vila_gyawali_bhattarai_lawdley_2021, title={A comparative analysis of hazard-prone housing acquisition programs in US and New Zealand communities}, ISSN={["2190-6491"]}, DOI={10.1007/s13412-021-00689-y}, abstractNote={This article describes the preliminary results of an international comparative assessment of hazard-prone housing acquisition programs (buyouts) undertaken in six US and New Zealand communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with government officials and consultants tasked with administering buyout programs following flood, debris flow, and earthquake-based disasters. Key issues analyzed include local capacity, public participation, planning and design, program complexity, funding and financial management, and lesson drawing. The findings are timely given the rise in disaster-related losses, buyouts are increasingly cited as a strategy to reduce natural hazard risk and advance climate change adaptation, and national buyout programs are evolving in both countries to tackle the challenges associated with this complex process.}, journal={JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SCIENCES}, author={Smith, Gavin and Saunders, Wendy and Vila, Olivia and Gyawali, Samata and Bhattarai, Samiksha and Lawdley, Eliza}, year={2021}, month={Apr} }
 @article{smith_vila_2020, title={A National Evaluation of State and Territory Roles in Hazard Mitigation: Building Local Capacity to Implement FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants}, volume={12}, ISSN={["2071-1050"]}, DOI={10.3390/su122310013}, abstractNote={This article describes the findings of a national survey of State Hazard Mitigation Officers (SHMOs) in U.S. states and territories in order to gain a greater understanding of the roles that they play in assisting local governments to build the capacity required to successfully develop and implement Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-funded Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants, an important but understudied aspect of hazard mitigation governance. The research questions focus on: (1) How states and territories enable local governments to develop and implement HMA grants and (2) SHMOs’ opinions regarding their perceived capacity and effectiveness in assisting local governments to develop and implement HMA grants. Results show that while states and territories are relatively well-equipped to perform general administrative duties required by FEMA, SHMOs expressed wide variation in their capacity to assist local governments to develop and implement HMA grants. This was particularly evident with regard to the delivery of specific technical assistance measures required to develop HMA grants. Survey responses also highlight modest levels of participation in FEMA-designed efforts to delegate responsibility to states and territories and low levels of participation in programs that offer pre-application funding to local governments to help them develop HMA grant applications. These findings should concern FEMA as the agency embarks on the implementation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, an ambitious pre-disaster hazard mitigation grant initiative.}, number={23}, journal={SUSTAINABILITY}, author={Smith, Gavin and Vila, Olivia}, year={2020}, month={Dec} }
 @article{smith_2020, title={Structures of coastal resilience}, volume={42}, ISSN={["1467-9906"]}, DOI={10.1080/07352166.2019.1614412}, abstractNote={Structures of Coastal Resilience addresses one of the grand challenges of the 21st century: how do we design resilient communities when most have been built to reflect a climate of the past? With t...}, number={2}, journal={JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS}, author={Smith, Gavin}, year={2020}, pages={281–283} }