Heir Property Owners and Federal Disaster Aid Programs: Opportunities for a More Equitable Recovery When Disaster Strikes

In this essay, we discuss the ongoing obstacles that homeowners who have inherited their homes face when trying to access federal disaster recovery assistance. We also review the patchwork of local legislative and policy reforms that have been adopted to help eliminate these obstacles. In closing, we offer recommendations for additional legal and policy reforms to allow disaster survivors with inherited property to get the help that they need to rebuild their homes. In an era of climate change and mounting devastation from hurricanes, fires, and other natural disasters, these reforms cannot come soon enough.