Residents of landslide-stricken city in California offered $42M in buyout program

An aerial view shows a neighborhood damaged by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Homeowners on a Southern California peninsula where worsening landslides have damaged homes and led to utility shutoffs are eligible for a $42 million voluntary buyout program offered by state and federal officials.

The program was announced Monday night during a special town hall meeting for Rancho Palos Verdes residents plagued by shifting land on their properties.

The money will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

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

More than 250 homes in the city south of Los Angeles have been affected by land movement and utility shutoffs over the past two years.

An aerial view shows a neighborhood affected by ongoing landslides in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong,File)

Many residents have said they are facing costs of up to $100,000 as they scramble to fortify foundations, switch to off-grid solar energy and convert natural gas lines to propane.

The FEMA funds were allocated after federal officials declared a disaster following wet winter storms in January and February that contributed to more landslides, KCAL-TV reported.

The voluntary program is intended to help eligible homeowners relocate to safer areas by offering a 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 deed-restricted, protecting the community from future redevelopment risks in these vulnerable areas, KCAL reported.

The landslides are the latest catastrophe in California, already burdened by worsening wildfires and extreme weather that has swung from heat waves to torrential rains that have caused flooding and mudslides in the past year.

In Rancho Palos Verdes, entire homes have collapsed or been torn apart. Walls have shifted and large fissures have appeared on the ground.

Evacuation warnings are in effect, and swaths of the community have had their power and gas turned off. Others are contending with temporary water shutdowns to fix sewer lines.

Nearly 70 years ago, the Portuguese Bend landslide in Rancho Palos Verdes was triggered with the construction of a road through the area, which sits atop an ancient landslide. It destroyed 140 homes at the time and the land has moved ever since.

But the once slow-moving landslides began to rapidly accelerate after torrential rains drenched Southern California over the past two years. The land that once was sliding at an average of several inches per year is now moving between 9 to 12 inches (22.8 to 30.48 centimeters) weekly.

Property owners interested in applying for the buyout program must request a voluntary property inspection from the city by Monday, Nov. 4 and submit a completed program application by Nov. 8. Properties will be prioritized for selection based on factors such as safety concerns, structural condition and utility statuses.