Exits From HUD Assistance and Moves to Higher Poverty Neighborhoods Following the Camp Fire

Alexander Din
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Policy Development and Research

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the official positions or policies of the Office of Policy Development and Research, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or the U.S. Government.

Little is known about U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-assisted households following a natural disaster, including continued participation status in low-income rental assistance and post-disaster location outcomes. This article compares changes in participation in HUD assistance and neighborhood poverty status between HUD-assisted households in Paradise and Magalia, California, and the rest of Butte County following the 2018 Camp Fire. The wildfire destroyed most of the community, making it the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California’s history. Approximately one-half of HUD-assisted households were not participating in HUD assistance in 2019. Of households that remained assisted, most had moved out of their neighborhood, often to higher poverty neighborhoods. This research suggests that further research is necessary to measure changes in participation in HUD assistance and locational trends for low-income subsidized households following a natural disaster.