The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a final rule Tuesday revising regulations governing floodplain management and the protection of wetlands to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS).
Among other revisions, the rule:
- Provides a process for determining the extent of the FFRMS floodplain, with a preference for a “climate-informed science approach” to make this determination;
- Revises HUD’s floodplain and wetland regulations;
- Revises HUD’s Minimum Property Standards for one-to-four-unit housing under HUD’s mortgage insurance and low-rent public housing programs to require the lowest floor in newly constructed structures located within the 1-percent-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain be built at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation as determined by best available information; and
- Revises a categorical exclusion when HUD performs environmental reviews and updates various HUD environmental regulations to permit online posting of public notices.
The final rule will go into effect May 23.
