First Street, the self-described "standard for climate risk modeling," is reportedly using government agency branding to help endorse a data set to certain properties.
"Companies like Zillow, Redfin, and Homes.com started incorporating First Street's data into the listing," says Will Hild, executive director of Consumers' Research.
The First Street data can be found online for any property that is for sale, but its stated risks for things like flooding and fire damage do not align with the maps from FEMA, which Hild points out is "the legal standard."
"It's based on the idea that they're modeling long-term climate risks so that the risks of flood may change based on climate change, at least according to them," he explains.
This is raising concerns about properties that in some cases have never had problems with flooding.
"Their website says, 'Trusted by industry experts,' and it sort of rotates through dozens and dozens of logos," Hild details. " A number of those are U.S. government agencies like NASA, the Census Bureau, and [they] are being used to basically make people think this must be really serious, trustworthy data."
He is not sure how or if the young organization with no track record of being correct about climate risks got permission to use these logos, but Consumers' Research believes it is giving people the false sense that they should not trust FEMA's well-documented, accurate maps and data.
In an October 16th letter to government agency heads, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Fed Chair Jerome Powell et al, Hild pointed out that consumers might be dissuaded from buying properties or might purchase insurance for things they do not need.
His organization is calling on these government agencies to send a cease and desist to First Steet if it does not have permission to use their logos. If First Street does have that permission, then Consumers' Research wants it retracted.
AFN sought comment from First Street and did not receive a response by press time.
