New Federal Flood Risk Management Standard Released
Effective May 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published its final rule Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands; Minimum Property Standards for Flood Hazard Exposure; Building to the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard.
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), compliance with new elevation requirements will be required for single-family new construction where building permit applications are submitted on or after Jan. 1, 2025, and compliance with the procedures for the FFRMS floodplain management and protection of wetlands is required for FHA-insured and HUD-assisted apartment properties no later than Jan. 1, 2025.
For FHA-insured or HUD-assisted multifamily properties, the new FFRMS requires a complicated, three-tiered process for determining the extent of the FFRMS floodplain, with a preference for a climate-informed science approach (CISA). The FFRMS expands the vertical and horizontal floodplain boundaries beyond the special flood hazard area (100-year floodplains). The rule requires more stringent elevation and flood proofing requirements of properties where federal funds are used to develop or provide financing for new construction within the now defined FFRMS floodplain. It also applies to substantial improvement to structures financed through HUD grants, subsidy programs and applicable multifamily programs.
