With disasters becoming more frequent and more expensive, gaps are increasingly showing up in the recovery processes. While funds from FEMA may be available to support a partial recovery, for many people, these payouts are insufficient to return their homes to a complete and livable state, or delayed to the point where waiting will just ensure increased recovery costs.
To fill these gaps, a blend of private donors and nonprofits are increasingly involved. While these groups have often been critical in the immediate aftermath, they’re also becoming more aware of the needs for long term recoveries, and ensuring community education to help ensure enhanced resiliency in the event of future emergencies or disasters.
With disasters having resulted in an estimated $277.6 billion in federal spending from 2005 to 2014, the importance of these private and nonprofit funds seems likely to grow, as speculation remains about the possibility of shifting the costs for disaster recovery from the federal to state levels. This is despite the concerns of states about their ability to afford to fund these recoveries themselves.
