Consumer Watchdog Notifies Authorities About Suspected Climate Activist Fraud

Consumers Research Urges Action Over First Street’s Climate Risk Modeling

On Thursday, Consumers Research reached out to several members of the Trump administration, urging them to end their relationship with First Street due to concerns about its climate risk modeling accuracy.

Will Hild, the Director of Consumers Research, pointed out in the letter that there have been significant concerns from homeowners and industry players regarding the trustworthiness of First Street’s flood risk assessments. He emphasized the need for an “interagency review” related to how federal cooperation is presented in First Street’s assessments. The letter was sent to key officials, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Acting Chairman of the Consumer Financial Protection Board, Russ Vought.

Hild asserted, “First Street is trying to enforce extreme climate change policies on consumers by suggesting that federal agencies back its politically charged climate risk model. This is misleading, as First Street’s climate model is flawed.” He further noted that FEMA’s guidelines are the established standard for climate risk evaluations, warning that First Street’s model could distort property values for consumers. “We are calling on these federal agencies to clarify that they do not endorse First Street’s approach and to eliminate any agency branding from their promotional materials,” he added. Consumers Research stands with homeowners and buyers who crave accurate and transparent information, rather than data influenced by climate change activists.

Additionally, Hild mentioned that one federal agency had cited First Street’s data, raising flags about its reliability. Prominent real estate platforms like Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com have incorporated First Street’s flood data into their listings.

The letter pointed out, “Recent reports indicate that First Street’s property-level assessments might be significantly incorrect and challenging to rectify.” It requested that the cited institutions revoke any partnership language or endorsements that might mislead the public about First Street’s credibility and clarify that its flood risk scores shouldn’t replace FEMA flood maps for regulatory, insurance, or listing purposes.

First Street claims to reveal the link between climate and financial risk for various stakeholders, but critics remain skeptical about its methods. Several homeowners in North Carolina expressed frustration, saying that the high flood warnings assigned to their properties were impacting their ability to sell. They argued that the flood risk data was inconsistent, making it confusing and problematic.

A real estate agent in Tennessee shared with DCNF that many in the industry felt sales had declined due to First Street’s flood data, which was available on real estate websites. “Buyers lost interest and were canceling showings before fully understanding the situation,” Stephanie Cross recounted. She described the impact as crippling for sellers, stating that the spread of this data negatively affected property values.

A spokesperson for Realtor.com pointed out that they feature both FEMA and First Street data in their listings, highlighting the importance of transparency in helping homeowners and prospective buyers understand property risks. They encouraged users to consult real estate experts or local floodplain authorities for more context when faced with varying flood ratings.