Filling the blindspots: Assessing distributive equity in fund allocation of Florida's local housing program for disaster recovery

Despite the role of local assistance in addressing households' disaster recovery needs, few studies have examined the role of localized programs in filling the gaps that might exist in federal programs. To address the question of whether local recovery funds distribute resources to socially vulnerable neighborhoods and how local assistance fits into the broader federal disaster assistance landscape, we take Florida's State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program as a case study. The SHIP program can help fill neighborhood-level gaps left by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Individual Assistance program by aiding neighborhoods with the higher proportions of 1) those who did not receive federal assistance or 2) those who had residual damages not fully covered by federal assistance. The study finds that SHIP funds typically flow into socially vulnerable neighborhoods with a higher proportion of Black and Hispanic residents, even without specific social or racial equity measures built into program regulations. The study highlights the importance of balancing the consistency of fundamental rules and having flexibility in distributing funds. •The role of localized programs in filling the gaps in federal programs is understudied.•Federal recovery programs served socially vulnerable neighborhoods.•Florida's locally allocated recovery programs also served vulnerable neighborhoods.•Florida's programs may have assisted areas not fully covered by federal funds.