July 7, 2016
Over 600 homeowners submitted the required information to participate in the 2016 City of Houston (COH) Floodplain Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Home Elevation Grant Project by the May 6, 2016 deadline. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), on behalf of the COH, has submitted four (4) applications to the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA’s) Flood Mitigation (FMA) Grant Program in June 2016. The final applications included a total of 173 candidate properties and 422 qualified alternate properties.
FEMA requires a minimum aggregate benefit cost ratio of 1.0 to justify their funding of the project. The project benefits must be calculated based upon the depth of the lowest floor below base flood elevation, the property’s flood loss history and other factors. The COH and TWDB worked together to complete the benefit cost analysis for the grant applications. Candidate projects yielded an aggregate benefit cost ratio of over 1.0 for the entire application. Alternate projects did not have a high enough benefit cost ratio to contribute to a qualifying benefit cost ratio for the overall application.
While there is no guarantee of funding, alternate properties can only receive funding if candidate property owners choose not to proceed with the program when and if the City and TWDB receives the grant award from FEMA. FEMA’s schedule to select applications for funding and make awards of funding has not yet been announced. This schedule is determined by FEMA and is not in the City’s control.
The City of Houston sent letters to most homeowners who volunteered to participate on June 30, 2016.
The City will post updates and additional information as it becomes available to Houstonrecovers.org. Please contact the Floodplain Management Office at (832) 394-8854 or fmo@houstontx.gov with your questions.