$500K NSF grant funds study on coastal land use as climate change impacts property values

A new National Science Foundation grant of $499,653 secured by Qian He, Ph.D., AICP, aims to help planners and municipal officials in shore communities grapple with declining home values amid a resulting loss in property taxes due to climate change.

He, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability within the School of Earth & Environment, said the prestigious NSF grant will fund the project, “Local Fiscal Policy: Community Resilience and Infrastructure Adaptation Under Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazards.”

The three-year study is focused on areas with declining property values in some southern New Jersey communities and along Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Her study will examine fiscal and policy responses to conditions triggered by sea level rise and coastal flooding, both of which are exacerbated by planet warming climate change.

“As coastal communities face rising sea levels and increasing flooding, many local governments are grappling with the financial challenges climate change imposes on their budgets and infrastructure planning,” He said. “This project examines how sea level rise and coastal flooding impact the ability of local communities to plan for and adapt to these challenges, focusing on the financial and social systems that support community resilience.”

He said lower property values in some shore regions, like parts of Cumberland County, have been exacerbated by climate change and that results in diminishing local tax dollars. Less tax revenue equates to fewer available dollars that municipal leaders can invest on infrastructure projects that could offset damage triggered by climate change.

He noted that some communities in Cumberland County in particular, which has among the lowest average income levels in New Jersey, are faced with increasing risk from flooding due to higher temperatures and related sea level rise.

“With property values decreasing, there will be a huge loss to the property tax base. I want to measure it by looking at what kinds of properties will be impacted and what type of land use will be affected,” she said.

In addition to her study of falling property values related to climate change, He said the funding will support efforts to communicate findings to local officials and planning practitioners.

“With sea level rise, what are they going to do?” He said. “This study aims to provide insights and recommendations for local and regional policy makers including planners and municipal policy officials.”

Deeply committed to the effects of sea level rise on less affluent shore communities, He co-authored “Demographics and risk of isolation due to sea level rise in the United States,” for the Nov. 30, 2023 issue of the journal Nature Communications.

“Coming from a community that was behind on infrastructure, I’ve always been passionate about understanding the struggles people face,” He said. “Having lived my childhood in communities where the lack of infrastructure can impact people’s lives, it makes me question who will get the help when it’s needed.”