HUD Floodplain Management and Wetlands Protection Rule (24 CFR Part 55)
Current understanding
HUD’s floodplain management and wetlands protection regulations (24 CFR Part 55) govern how HUD-assisted projects site, design, and mitigate for flood-prone and wetland areas. A 2024 rule implemented the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS), expanding the elevation/floodplain footprint HUD-assisted projects must consider; HUD has now proposed to rescind that rule and restore prior regulations while retaining limited flexibilities for floodways, categorical exclusions, and exemptions. Effect on builders: lower elevation and siting costs and fewer projects pulled into expanded floodplains; effect on renters/buyers: potentially faster and cheaper delivery of HUD-assisted units but reduced resilience margins against future flood risk; effect on insurers/communities: possible higher long-run flood exposure for federally supported housing.
Evidence log
- 2026-07-10 — Rescission of Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands; Minimum Property Standards for Flood Hazard Exposure; Building to the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard: cross-connection with hud-environmental-review-procedures: Floodplain/wetlands review under 24 CFR Part 55 is executed through the Part 50/58 environmental review process; rescinding the 2024 FFRMS rule narrows the substantive scope of what Part 50/58 reviews must analyze. (novelty: 2)