Residents of landslide-damaged Southern California town propose $42 million buyback program

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, California. Homeowners on the Southern California peninsula, where the situation is worsening. landslides damaged houses and resulted in utility shutoffs are eligible for a $42 million voluntary buyback program offered by state and federal authorities.

The program was announced Monday night during a special town hall meeting for Rancho Palos Verdes residents suffering from land displacement on their properties. The money will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Management.

“This buyout program provides a viable path forward for the most vulnerable members of our community, offering the opportunity to relocate and rebuild with significant compensation,” said Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor John Cruikshank.

Over the past two years, more than 250 homes in the city south of Los Angeles have been damaged by land shifts and utility shutoffs.

Many residents said they will have to spend up to $100,000 as they try to shore up foundations, switch to off-grid solar power and convert natural gas lines to propane.

The FEMA funds were released after federal officials declared a disaster following wet winter storms in January and February that contributed to an increase in landslides. KSAL-TV reported.

The voluntary program is designed to help eligible homeowners move to safer areas by offering fair market value for their homes based on pre-disaster appraisals. Properties acquired by the city through this program will be permanently converted to open space and deeded, protecting the community from future redevelopment risks in these sensitive areas, KCAL reports.

The landslides are the latest disaster in California, which is already weighed down by worsening wildfires and extreme weather, from heat waves to heavy rains that caused floods and mudslides last year.

In Rancho Palos Verdes, entire houses collapsed or were destroyed. The walls moved and large cracks appeared in the ground. Evacuation warnings are in effect and some segments of the population have exercised their authority and gas is turned off. Others are struggling with temporary water shutoffs to repair sewer lines.

Nearly 70 years ago, the Portuguese Bend landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes was triggered by construction of a road through the area that passed over an ancient landslide. 140 houses were destroyed then, and the ground has since moved.

But the once-slow landslides began to rapidly accelerate after heavy rains flooded Southern California over the past two years. Ground that once slid an average of a few inches per year now moves 9 to 12 inches (22.8 to 30.48 cm) per week.

Property owners interested in applying for the buyout program must request a voluntary property inspection from the city by Monday, November 4th and submit a completed program application by November 8th. Priority in the selection of properties will be given based on factors such as safety considerations, structural condition and utility status.