In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, officials in Harris County have announced plans to buy some homes that have flooded multiple times. The argument is that it is cheaper for taxpayers to buy the homes, demolish them, and turn the land into green space rather than continuing to rebuild. While this may be true, it doesn’t address the more fundamental issue.
Why are taxpayers paying the bill to rebuild flooded homes and businesses?
Over the past 30 years, the Harris County Flood Control District has spent more than $340 million to purchase about 3,100 homes. The district has another 3,300 homes on its buyout list, and thousands more homes may be added.
Forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for flooding, whether through buyouts or rebuilding, simply compounds the number of victims. Those who did not flood are compelled to pay for those who did. A flooded home is certainly a tragedy. Nobody wants to experience the destruction of rising water. But one individual’s tragedy is not a claim on the property of others.
Numerous plans are being bandied about to prevent a recurrence of Harvey. Buyouts are one of the ideas. Some want tighter land-use regulations to control development, and others want to spend billions improving the bayous and creating more detention ponds. While any of these measures would undoubtedly help reduce future flooding, they all come with significant costs.
The one solution that hasn’t been discussed is individual responsibility. Those who buy a home in a flood prone area should take responsibility for their decision. They can mitigate their losses by purchasing the appropriate insurance, raising their home, and using materials that are less prone to water damage, such as ceramic or stone flooring.
But when the financial responsibility is shifted to taxpayers, individuals have less incentive to take such protective measures. When individuals know that government will bail them out, many see no reason to be proactive.
Houston will flood again. Anyone who expects government to prevent that from occurring is sadly mistaken. If individuals don’t want to be a flood victim, then they need to take responsibility for their own property.