Adaptation Policy in Practice | How New Jersey is Breaking the Cycles of Repetitive Flood Loss
December 11, 2025
First Installment in GCC's Adaptation Policy in Practice Series
People living in flood-prone homes face a problem that property insurance and emergency response cannot solve. When homes flood repeatedly, the damage accumulates faster than government programs can respond.
In the first installment in its Adaptation Policy in Practice Series, Georgetown Climate Center Adaptation Program Director Joshua Saks explores how New Jersey's Blue Acres program uses strategic state investment in floodplain buyouts to address the gaps that leave vulnerable homeowners and their families trapped in repetitive loss properties for years.
Federal buyout programs exist to relocate families from these chronically flooded properties, but long timelines, restrictive eligibility rules and other obstacles often result in people waiting years for help to move out of harm’s way. Since 1995, Blue Acres has acquired over 1,200 flood-prone properties, compressing typical 3-7 year federal buyout timelines to 6-12 months. The program’s unique approach couples dedicated state revenues with specialized staff and proactive outreach to cover federal cost-share requirements, negotiate mortgage debt forgiveness for homeowners, provide relocation assistance, and enable proactive acquisitions before disasters strike.
“As climate-driven flooding intensifies, the challenge for states extends beyond funding to building the institutional capacity necessary for effective action,” writes Saks. “New Jersey's experience demonstrates what sustained investment in specialized expertise and governance structures can achieve. Other flood-prone states can learn from this example as they design their own adaptation programs.”
Georgetown Climate Center's Adaptation Policy in Practice Series spotlights the nation’s most effective state-level climate adaptation initiatives, presenting practical analysis for leaders building comprehensive adaptation programs. Each brief examines not just what works, but how it works: the legislative foundations, funding mechanisms, community engagement strategies, and replication frameworks that transform successful state innovations into actionable blueprints.