79.1—Purpose.
(a)
The purpose of this part is to prescribe actions, procedures, and requirements for administration of the hazard mitigation grant programs made available under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, as amended, and the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4001
et seq. The Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant programs mitigate losses from floods, minimizing impacts to the National Flood Insurance Fund (NFIF). The rules in this part apply to the administration of funds under the SRL and FMA programs for which the application period opens on or after December 3, 2007. Prior to this date, the administration of funds under the FMA program shall be subject to the rules in part 78 of this subchapter.
(1)
Assist State and local governments in funding actions that reduce or eliminate the risk of flood damage to residential properties insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that meet the definition of severe repetitive loss property;
(2)
Reduce the need to increase flood insurance premiums of NFIP policyholders that would otherwise be required to pay for potential future repetitive claims associated with severe repetitive loss properties; and
(3)
Reduce loss of life, property damage, outlays for the NFIF, and Federal disaster assistance by reducing or eliminating the risk of flood damage to those insured properties that have historically experienced the most severe flood losses.
(c)
The purpose of the FMA program is to assist State and local governments in funding cost-effective actions that reduce or eliminate the risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured homes, and other structures insured under the NFIP.