44 CFR 9.13 – Particular types of temporary housing
(a) The purpose of this section is to set forth the procedures whereby the Agency will provide certain specified types of temporary housing.
(b) Prior to providing the types of temporary housing enumerated in paragraph (c) of this section, the Agency shall comply with the provisions of this section. For all temporary housing not enumerated below, the full 8-step process (see § 9.6) applies.
(c) The following temporary housing actions are subject to the provisions of this section and not the full 8-step process:
(1) [Reserved]
(2) Placing a mobile home or readily fabricated dwelling on a private or commercial site, but not a group site.
(d) The actions set out in paragraph (c) of this section are subject to the following decision-making process:
(1) The temporary housing action shall be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of § 9.7 to determine if it is in or affects a floodplain or wetland.
(2) No mobile home or readily fabricated dwelling may be placed on a private or commercial site in a floodway or coastal high hazard area.
(3) An individual or family shall not be housed in a floodplain or wetland unless the Regional Administrator has complied with the provisions of § 9.9 to determine that such site is the only practicable alternative. The following factors shall be substituted for the factors in § 9.9 (c) and (e) (2) through (4):
(i) Speedy provision of temporary housing;
(ii) Potential flood risk to the temporary housing occupant;
(iii) Cost effectiveness;
(iv) Social and neighborhood patterns;
(v) Timely availability of other housing resources; and
(vi) Potential harm to the floodplain or wetland.
(4) An individual or family shall not be housed in a floodplain or wetland (except in existing resources) unless the Regional Administrator has complied with the provisions of § 9.11 to minimize harm to and within floodplains and wetlands. The following provisions shall be substituted for the provisions of § 9.11(d) for mobile homes:
(i) No mobile home or readily fabricated dwelling may be placed on a private or commercial site unless it is elevated to the fullest extent practicable up to the base flood level and adequately anchored.
(ii) No mobile home or readily fabricated dwelling may be placed if such placement is inconsistent with the criteria of the National Flood Insurance Program (44 CFR part 59 et seq.) or any more restrictive Federal, State or local floodplain management standard. Such standards may require elevation to the base flood level in the absence of a variance.
(iii) Mobile homes shall be elevated on open works (walls, columns, piers, piles, etc.) rather than on fill where practicable.
(iv) To minimize the effect of floods on human health, safety and welfare, the Agency shall:
(A) Where appropriate, integrate all of its proposed actions in placing mobile homes for temporary housing in floodplains into existing flood warning and preparedness plans and ensure that available flood warning time is reflected;
(B) Provide adequate access and egress to and from the proposed site of the mobile home; and
(C) Give special consideration to the unique hazard potential in flash flood and rapid-rise areas.
(5) FEMA shall comply with Step 2 Early Public Notice (§ 9.8(c)) and Step 7 Final Public Notice (§ 9.12). In providing these notices, the emergency nature of temporary housing shall be taken into account.
(e) FEMA shall not sell or otherwise dispose of mobile homes or other readily fabricated dwellings which would be located in floodways or coastal high hazard areas. FEMA shall not sell or otherwise dispose of mobile homes or other readily fabricated dwellings which would be located in floodplains or wetlands unless there is full compliance with the 8-step process. Given the vulnerability of mobile homes to flooding, a rejection of a non-floodplain location alternative and of the no-action alternative shall be based on (1) a compelling need of the family or individual to buy a mobile home for permanent housing, and (2) a compelling requirement to locate the unit in a floodplain. Further, FEMA shall not sell or otherwise dispose of mobile homes or other readily fabricated dwellings in a floodplain unless they are elevated at least to the level of the 100-year flood. The Regional Administrator shall notify the Assistant Administrator for Mitigation of each instance where a floodplain location has been found to be the only practicable alternative for a mobile home sale.