2023 Home Elevation Grant Program

The 2023 Home Elevation Grant Program is administered by the Town of Hull through a multi-department committee of Town staff. Its purpose is to assist eligible residents raise their homes in the 100-year floodplain so the risk for flooding is reduced. This guidance has been written for the 2023 Home Elevation Grant Program and must be followed by any resident wishing to seek public funding to elevate his or her home.

FUNDING AVAILABILITY

Funding may be available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance; specifically the FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grant Program https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/floods to help Massachusetts communities implement mitigation measures, like home elevations and the elevation of utilities, to eliminate long-term risk of flood damage to National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) - insured structures thereby reducing or eliminating claims under the NFIP. Homeowners cannot apply directly for FMA funding, but local governments may sponsor applications on their behalf; therefore, the Town of Hull has developed the Home Elevation Grant Program to help residents seek FMA funding.

ELIGIBILITY FOR FUNDING CONSIDERATION

Because FMA funding is both competitive and complex, the Town must make difficult decisions as to sponsorship of elevation projects for consideration. The following criteria have been established, in addition to federal and state requirements, to guide selection of local elevation projects for consideration in this grant round (2023): (The Town reserves the right/ability to alter criteria as deemed appropriate)

• The home must be located in the 100-year floodplain
• The cost to elevate the home must be equal to or less than $205,000, including the cost of elevating utilities. If multiple homes are involved, the average cost of elevation per property must meet this criterion.
• The home must be capable of being elevated safely to meet FEMA’s flood resistant design and construction requirements (ASCE 24-14) and the local and state building codes. Generally, this means that homes most be elevated a minimum of one or two feet above the 100‐year Base Flood Elevation (BFE)
• For elevation of utilities only, a benefit-cost analysis will be needed. Our department will help the applicant through this process (See: https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/benefit-cost-analysis )

Applying for FMA funding is voluntary. Eligible residents should consider the non-reimbursable costs of applying for a FMA Home Elevation Grant. Given the complexities of FEMA’s application and grant management processes, the Town will sponsor no more than five homeowners for consideration of federal funding under the FMA. If more than five elevation projects are proposed, the Town will take into consideration a project’s feasibility, readiness and consistency with hazard mitigation priorities before deciding which proposals to sponsor. The order in which proposals are received will be only one factor in the Town's decision.