STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York will use $250 million in funds to launch a new buyout program for residents in flood-prone area, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in Tuesday’ State of the State address.
The “Blue Buffer” program will provide voluntary buyouts to New Yorkers in the most flood-prone areas, which will be identified in the program’s first year with community outreach.
Hochul announced the new program as part of a broader resiliency plan that also includes efforts to protect the state’s homes, infrastructure and most vulnerable people.
“In the past year alone, New York has become all too familiar with frequent, extreme weather events,” Hochul said. “As we continue to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions across New York, we simultaneously need to make sure our communities, homes and infrastructure are resilient and can withstand these coming storms. The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and these essential actions will protect our State for generations to come.”
New York has offered flood-prone communities buyout options before, but typically, just after major weather events like Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Following that storm, the state, under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, offered voluntary buyouts to Staten Island residents in a portions of Oakwood Beach and Ocean Breeze.
The new buyout program Hochul announced Tuesday will use funds authorized in the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
If purchased contiguously, bought-out properties will help return sections of shorelines and floodplains to resilient habitats, including wetlands, which can absorb storm surge and high water to further protect and buffer surrounding communities.
The Nature Conservancy, a non-profit organization focused on conservation, issued a statement Tuesday applauding Hochul’s resiliency plan, and the new buyout initiative.
“Voluntary buyouts are essential for the health, safety and well-being of people who live in areas that…
Read the full article here