Interview Guide

Hazard-prone housing acquisition or “buyout” programs are among the most effective hazard mitigation measures. However, these programs are notoriously difficult to administer and communities in the United States (US) routinely struggle to develop and implement them in a timely and well-planned manner. In addition, the sharing of lessons learned (or not learned) among those engaged in housing acquisition programs remains underemphasized. This work explores innovative practices adopted within local housing acquisition programs across diverse US communities, and more specifically, the factors that helped facilitate the implementation of those practices. The results are based off of interviews with 25 local housing acquisition program administrators involved in different housing acquisition programs across US. Results focus on the factors that contribute to housing acquisition policy innovation across all phases of the housing acquisition process, including planning, financing, grant writing, implementation, community relocation, and open-space management. In the context of this study, we define innovation as a practice implemented as part of a housing acquisition program that is new to the community adopting that practice. Lessons highlight the prevalence of policy diffusion, and the importance of community and political motivation, and various community characteristics (such as access to data and technical expertise, staff, partnerships and collaborations, leaders and advocates) in promoting innovation.