Washington, DC, September 23, 2021 – The SmarterSafer Coalition today released the following statement on the failure to make substantial, long-overdue NFIP reforms:
“Since 2012, Congress has failed to pass a long-term reauthorization to the National Flood Insurance Program, with 2021 marking the 16th consecutive short-term fix. As our country reels from increasingly powerful storms and flooding, communities urgently need legislative action to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Set to expire on September 30, the NFIP is a federally subsidized program administered by FEMA whose purpose is to offer affordable insurance coverage to property owners, renters, and businesses, including more than 5 million homeowners nationwide. The NFIP is also intended to encourage communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations.
Time is running out to make critical improvements to the NFIP, including, but not limited to:
- Prioritizing pre-disaster mitigation efforts, including community-focused, nature-based mitigation
- Ensuring premiums reflect accurate levels of risk and expanding the role of private insurance
- Modernizing and improving floodplain mapping
- Imposing limitations on new construction inside FEMA floodplains
Updates to the NFIP and overarching flood management apparatus have the power to make a considerable impact on people and communities across the country. We are dismayed by the inaction and strongly encourage policymakers to prioritize making necessary reforms that will benefit all.”
SmarterSafer.org is a national coalition made up of a diverse chorus of voices united in favor of environmentally responsible, fiscally sound approaches to natural catastrophe policy that promote public safety. SmarterSafer members include taxpayer advocates, environmental groups, insurance interests, housing organizations, and mitigation advocates.
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