Throughout the planning process, local jurisdictions should make sure their mitigation program meets the needs of the whole community. The mitigation program benefits all residents, including underserved and socially vulnerable populations. To do this, the Guide asks local governments to plan for equitable outcomes. FEMA defines equity as the consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals. By leading with equity, jurisdictions can form mitigation strategies that protect the whole community. FEMA has created an Equity in Mitigation Planning resource that will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
There are three ways to think about equity within the planning process.
Procedural Equity is committing to equity in the planning process itself. This means:
- Making clear, fair and inclusive processes. Work with partners who represent underserved groups and socially vulnerable populations to design and implement outreach and engagement methods that will reach the most marginalized and/or vulnerable members of the community.
- Giving chances for meaningful input. Underserved groups should have a true voice in planning and prioritizing mitigation. Invite nonprofit and community-based organizations that support these groups to join the local mitigation planning team. Invite other representatives as well. Welcome them to share their input throughout the planning process.
Structural Equity builds on the need for accountability. It supports learning the history that led to privilege. It also supports working to correct past harms. You can address this by:
- Talking about equity early and often with the planning team. Use the principles of equity in all decision-making processes, from initial outreach to publication of the plan.
- Recognizing and dealing with the societal systems that cause inequity.
- Forming organizational infrastructure to address inequities. This should happen both at the staff and leadership levels. If inequities are raised during the planning process, make sure there are tools and paths to fix them. Think about working with consultants who have expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion, often referred to as DEI.
Distributional Equity asks, “Do programs result in the fair sharing of benefits and burdens across the community? Do they focus on areas and populations with the greatest need?” Distributional equity is most crucial to think about during the mitigation strategy. This is where the local government sets its goals and actions. It is vital to use a distributional equity lens when you assess and prioritize mitigation actions and projects. Distributional equity makes sure that communities that hazards disproportionately harm get benefits from mitigation actions to meet their needs.
The Guide to Expanding Mitigation: Making the Connection to Equity defines social vulnerability as the potential for loss within an individual or social group. The term recognizes that some characteristics affect an individual’s or group’s ability to prepare, respond, cope or recover from an event. These may differ from community to community, but they often include:
- High poverty.
- Limited access to a vehicle.
- Age (very old or very young).
- Limited English language skills.
- Disability status.
- Race.
- Ethnicity.
These factors can increase vulnerability. That is why the most at-risk members in a community often suffer the worst losses from disasters. These community members may not trust the government. They may be regularly left out of planning activities. They may also have little access to information about what to do before or after a hazard event.
Equity in mitigation planning removes barriers to the process, allowing everyone to participate in, have access to, and benefit from the process. It also means the plan’s mitigation strategies (e.g., structural, regulatory, nature-based, and outreach and awareness campaigns) increase the safety of everyone. It is important to continuously and intentionally address equity challenges in the planning process. Table 6 shares some common challenges and possible solutions to increase the equity of your outreach.
Table 5: Challenges and Solutions for Equitable Outreach
| Challenge | Possible Solutions |
|---|---|
| Physical Barriers including a lack of transportation | Provide transportation vouchers and hold meetings in locations easily accessible via public transit. |
| Social Barriers including a lack of childcare needed to attend meetings and workshops. | Provide free childcare at all public planning workshops. Make sure to communicate this amenity well in advance to allow parents and caregivers time to plan ahead. |
| Temporal Barriers such as holding meetings during times when most people are working. | Make sure to hold meetings during non-business hours, i.e., during evenings or on weekends. |
| Limited English Language Proficiency | Provide translators and publish public-facing documents in languages other than English, if relevant to your community. |
| Historic Institutional Inequities towards many socially vulnerable populations and underserved groups may make certain community members less likely to engage with planning teams or to trust that their input will be respected and incorporated. | Work to address this by being transparent and taking an active listening role. Communicate how information will be collected and used. Acknowledge historic inequities while emphasizing that the planning process is a path towards resilience for the community’s most at-risk residents. |
| Accessibility Barriers such as a lack of accommodation for those with visual or hearing impairments. | Provide closed captioning for virtual meetings and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for in-person engagements. |