Poster #26 - Co-Designing and Evaluating a Microgrant Program for Household Flood Resilience in San Bruno, California

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

As climate change intensifies, the need to strengthen public resilience to flooding has become increasingly urgent. While system-wide reforms—such as large-scale investments in resilient infrastructure and overhauls to land use and permitting regulations—are critical for reducing community-wide flood risk, these approaches are costly, slow to implement, and often insufficient to address the localized risks that frontline households face. Flood risk is not confined to publicly managed infrastructure; it also stems from features of individual properties—such as site elevation, yard drainage, and basement vulnerability. These factors often determine flood damage severity yet fall outside the scope of what governments can manage, especially on already-developed, privately owned land. Given these limitations, direct household-level incentives are a promising strategy for supporting private property owners to adopt risk-reducing measures. Yet, many existing programs—such as elevation or retrofit grants—are constrained by complex applications, cost-sharing requirements, and technical barriers that exclude the residents most in need of support.

This project presents a model for collaboratively developing and evaluating a household flood resilience program through community-engaged research. In Belle Air—a disadvantaged neighborhood in San Bruno, California facing recurrent flooding—our research team partnered with San Mateo County’s flood resilience agency (OneShoreline), community-based organization Rise South City, and facilitator Ari Simon to co-design an intervention rooted in residents’ lived experience.

Phase 1 involved in-depth community engagement to understand local flood experiences, preparedness levels, and barriers to action. Between January 2024 and January 2025, over 60 door-to-door conversations, 11 semi-structured interviews, and two bilingual community workshops were conducted. Thematic analysis revealed widespread material and psychological impacts of flooding. Many residents have taken proactive measures, such as laying sandbags or installing sump pumps, yet these efforts are often constrained by cost, technical knowledge, and lack of installation or maintenance support. Risk exposure and adaptive capacity also varied widely across households, shaped by property characteristics and social vulnerability (e.g., physical disability). Some cited past frustration or skepticism toward institutional support, underscoring the need for trusted local intermediaries. 

Insights from Phase 1 informed the design of a household microgrant program enabling residents in the FEMA-designated flood zone to select from a menu of structural resilience measures—such as reusable flood barriers, yard drainage improvements, or shelving to elevate belongings—tailored to household needs. The program was refined through ongoing resident consultations. Phase 2 will evaluate the program through a mixed-methods field experiment. Eligible households will be randomly assigned to either (1) a microgrant-only condition or (2) a microgrant plus personalized technical assistance from a trusted community leader. Evaluation will use pre/post surveys, follow-up interviews, and administrative records to assess uptake, deployment, and perceived impact.

This presentation shares findings from Phase 1, outlines the community-informed design of the microgrant program, and presents our evaluation strategy. We reflect on how collaborative, place-based approaches can enhance the equity and effectiveness of public services while activating private action to address localized flood risks.

Authors

• Sarah Fendrich, Stanford University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Hannah Melville-Rea, Stanford University
  Presenting Author