Mystic Island Voluntary Buyout - PowerPoint Presentation

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Mystic Island Voluntary BuyoutHealth Impact Assessment:Assessing Health Outcomes of Post-Sandy Decision-Making

Presented by: Karen Lowrie, Ph.D.Planning Healthy Communities InitiativeSlide2

Mystic Island HIA – What it is and What it isn’tWhat it is

HIA to inform buyout decisionOne of first HIAs on a resilience strategyDoor-opening to many future HIA and other studies

What it

isn’t

Post-Assessment of Sandy impacts

Analysis or comparison of various resilience options

Comprehensive assessment of any specific health impact

Statistically valid survey sampleSlide3

Voluntary BuyoutsNJ DEP Blue Acres Program – state funds and CDBG Disaster Recovery FundsIntention – Remove people from harm’s way and achieve environmental benefit

Purchase of private property with government fundsStructures demolishedLand returned to open spaceImpacts to public healthSlide4

New Jersey Context

130 miles of coastlineCoastal storm threatsNor’eastersTropical cyclones

Sea Level Rise

4Slide5

At-a-GlancePopulation: 8,164 – Trending down

Mostly waterfront community built in the 1960’s as resort34% of homes seasonal or vacantModerate income, Lower education, 98% whiteFew community assets, isolated and vulnerable

Mystic IslandSlide6

Sandy Impacts and ChallengesAbout 1,000 homes in LEHT substantially damaged.

Difficult to sell homes – falling prices even before storm – stressed local economyMore routine flooding since Sandy Lifting homes is

expensive

option and

problematic

Mystic IslandSlide7

Scope of the HIA

Program Alternatives:100 Property Voluntary Buyout

500 Property Voluntary Buyout

Blue Acres Criteria

Repurposed spaced as marsh with

p

assive recreation

Impacted populations:

LEH Township

Mystic Island residents

Elderly and Disabled

Lower income

Data Needs and Sources

Demographics and Socioeconomics

Health Characteristics – Physical (disease and lifestyle) and Mental Health (stress, anxiety, depression, additions, etc.)

Parcel-based (prop. values , characteristics, condition)

Mystic IslandSlide8
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Open space Vision

Benefits of WetlandsFlood buffers

Filter chemicals

Provide habitats

Floating Docks

Minimal Maintenance

Can be used in combination with wetlands

Promotes Tourism

3 nearby National Wildlife Refuge Areas

Clamming

Endangered Species

Funding and Cost Considerations

Construction of bulkhead and passive recreation

Annual Maintenance

NJ has several grant opportunities

Source: http

://mid-atlanticmusings.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.htmlSlide10

Research QuestionsWhat are the mental and physical health impacts of voluntary buyout scenarios for the residents of Mystic Island?

Sub-questions related to health determinants:What are the impacts related to flooding (

routine

due to SLR,

storm

events)?

What are the household

financial

impacts?

What are the

municipal fiscal

impacts?

What are the impacts to social fabric and cohesion?What are the impacts related to open space?

Mystic IslandSlide11

Stakeholder EngagementKickoff Meeting – Fall 2014

HIA Steering Committee (approx. 6-8 meetings) Key informant interviewsRoundtable DiscussionCommunity-wide resident survey – approx. 100 responsesSlide12

Baseline Health StatusOcean County, NJ:

Higher obesityLess access to recreation (10% below state)Higher heart diseaseMore smoking and drug use (treatment admissions)

Self-reported from Survey (LEH residents):

Heart disease 3% higher than County

Asthma

higher

than County

Depression at

26%

(

13%

higher than County)

Mystic IslandSlide13

Flooding Impacts on HealthMental HealthInjury and IllnessEvacuation

Hazards and ToxicsInfrastructure and Power OutagesSlide14
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Question

Severe Impact

Moderate Impact

Very Little or No impact

Not Sure/ No Opinion

Impact on my property value

31.0%

25.0%

39.3%

4.8%

Sandy – Immediately After

70.1%

14.3%

Sandy – 2 years After

58.8%

23.4%

Elevated stress levels

30.6%

25.9%

37.7%

5.9%

Sandy - Immediately After

53.9%

24.3%

Mystic

lagooned

78.4%

Sandy – 2 years After

36.4%

28.6%

Mystic

lagooned

59.5%

Question: During and in the immediate months after STORM events, which of the following do you normally experience, and how severe is the impact?Slide16

Mental Health Impacts of Severe Storms

Short-term:

Trauma

Stress

Longer-term:

Anxiety

PTSD

Increased Domestic Violence

Increased Smoking/Drinking

Exacerbation of physical and mental health conditions

Fear of future floods

“The

i

nability to manage mental perspective has been increasing gradually and the need to access mental health assistance has become huge.

“Slide17
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Projected Impacts of Buyout on FloodingBuyout of chronically flooded properties will eliminate health impacts for those whose homes are purchased and leave Mystic Island

.Clustered buyout of chronically flooded properties should reduce the severity of routine and storm-related damage and flooding by providing a buffer for storm surge and wave action for residents who remain in Mystic Island, thus reducing frequency and severity of nuisance

and storm-related flood

caused

physical and mental health

outcomes such as elevated stress, feelings of isolation, exposures to toxics, debris and mold.

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Resident Comments about Impact of Sandy on Household Finances “I’ve gone broke.”

 “I had to rent a house and also still pay my mortgage. (A)ll life's savings are gone as well as all life's belongings.” “It is taking so long to recover, I would hate to see it again.”

“I would have jumped at a buyout option if it was available immediately after the storm. I would even take it now if it could cover the cost of the home.”Slide20

Projected Impacts: Household FinancesFor the people who accept buyout, household finances should improve if a fair purchase price is offered that addresses current debt and provides ability to find and purchase adequate property in a less vulnerable area.

For Little Egg Harbor residents, buyouts should have a negligible negative impact on household finances.Buyouts should reduce future needs of residents to access and use recovery programs.

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Projected Impacts: Municipal FinancialBuyout scenarios would result in a minor to moderate loss of tax revenue to the municipal budget, combined with cost savings that will likely not be fully realized.

While the 100-unit buyout has limited effect, under the 500-unit buyout scenario, the Little Egg Harbor school district would be affected, and costs might have to be cut, including laying off some teachers or administrative personnel.Economic benefits could be achieved through the buyout scenario, including reduced costs of recovery from future flooding and storms, and potential revenue generated from new eco-tourism, but these benefits were not quantified in this study and require a more detailed analysis.Slide23
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Projected Impact: Open SpaceOpen space with opportunity for recreation provides very positive health impacts for physical fitness and reduction of disease.

There are strong positive mental health impacts associated with proximity of well-maintained open space.Eco-tourism opportunities can help to support local businesses and improve property values.Local open space with recreation opportunities disproportionately benefits lower income people who have limited access to private clubs.Slide25
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Projected Impact: Social CohesionRemoving abandoned homes through

buyout will remove a source of distress and health hazards, improving quality of

life.

Loss of homes and populations could hurt some local

programs,

causing feelings of isolation and sadness, particularly among lower income and younger individuals.

The new recreational open space created by the bought out properties should provide opportunities for social interaction that improve community quality of life and mental health of residents.Slide27

Summary FindingsLiving in floodprone

area is stressful.There are both short-term and long-term health effects of large-scale disasters.There are strong mental health impacts related to financial difficulties and loss of control, especially for lower income and elderlyOpportunity to use buyout to strengthen economy and social networks – benefits most vulnerableRange of options will be needed to build resilience and live sustainably along coast.

Recommendations aimed at government decision-makers, both to inform buyout support and improve recovery programsSlide28

Selected Recommendations about BuyoutsBuyouts should be

clustered in a geographic area that results in greatest potential to reduce storm-related impacts. (i.e., most vulnerable to storm impacts and fewest elevated homes)Social services, particularly

access to mental health services

, should be improved as a complement to a buyout program and targeted to lower income, less educated populations

.

Buyout programs should be

funded and readily activated

and offered to residents quickly after storm-related disasters occur

.

Consider uses for the new open space that will

provide

physical health benefits and gathering

places for community-building

and public events.Slide29

Selected Recommendations about Recovery ProgramsCommunity

education about vulnerabilities so that residents understand the benefits of the measures.Agencies trained

to both

prevent

and

recognize the long-term mental health effects

following a storm event through

ongoing mental health surveillance, appropriate intervention, and adaptation strategies

.

Disaster managers at all levels

work

together

with

a goal to operate efficiently

to return affected populations to normalcy as quickly as possible.Financial counseling services offered as part of disaster case management

to

help storm victims access

programs

and provide them advice about

financial management.Slide30

Resilience and Health:Topics for Future Study

Effects of post-disaster recovery on specific vulnerable subpopulationsPrioritization of buyout areas based on health and risk reduction, considering socially vulnerable populations

Quantify the impact of open space on nuisance flooding

Impact

of buyouts on neighborhood quality of life

factors

Health

impacts for households who accept

buyouts

Effects

of resiliency strategies on

local/regional economy

 Comparison of resilience strategies vs. do-nothing