Buy-In

ORG #30 — Buy-In
In De Soto, Missouri, repeated floods devastated homes, displaced families, and left residents with few safe options. That’s when Buy-In stepped in—not to rebuild, but to help people move. The nonprofit works with low-income, flood-prone communities—especially in the Midwest and Appalachia—to navigate voluntary relocation with clarity and care. They offer planning support, help secure public funding, and make sure people feel seen and supported through every step. In De Soto, their efforts helped residents identify relocation options, apply for grants, and start building a safer future. Relocation may seem drastic, but it often saves money over time—avoiding the repeated costs of disaster relief, infrastructure repair, insurance payouts, and human displacement. FEMA spends more than 50 times as much rebuilding flooded properties as it does helping people move. Buy-In offers a more rational, humane alternative: move before the next flood, not after. Their work complements larger efforts in places like North Carolina, Tulsa, and Milwaukee, where local governments are leading buyout programs—but few organizations offer the hands-on, community-first support that makes these efforts truly work. Backed by a mix of philanthropic and public funding, Buy-In is still small—yet with more flexible capital and local partnerships, its model could help thousands more families move to safer ground before disaster strikes. And because the core approach is lightweight and adaptable, other nonprofits and public agencies could easily adopt it—unlocking not just safer futures, but billions in avoided damage and disaster costs over time.

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