MONROE COUNTY COMPLETED REGULATIONS ANALYSIS FOR REPAIR, REPLACEMENT AND ELEVATION OF IRMA AFFECTED MOBILE AND MANUFACTURED HOMES

MONROE COUNTY, FL – In the County, mobile and manufactured homes suffered some of the worst damage from Hurricane Irma because the units were built to different standards than the current building code and because many have existed for decades and were not elevated.

And, because manufactured and mobile homes typically are a less resilient housing type, regulations that govern them are set up to discourage their replacement in vulnerable locations such as the low-lying Keys in order to ensure public safety and resiliency of County residents.

Do you own a mobile home or manufacture unit in Monroe County that was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irma? Do you have questions if you can replace or repair this home? Do you have questions about how high a replacement home may need to be elevated?

Homeowners now can fill out their name and property information on a checklist and submit it to the Monroe County Planning and Environmental Resources Department. Planning and floodplain staff will review your property information and provide you answers about what federal, state and local regulations allow you to do with your home.

Monroe County Planning and Building departments have been working diligently for weeks on reviewing, compiling and summarizing all the relevant federal, state and local regulations related to repair, replacement and the elevation of mobile and manufactured homes within the County. It was a complex task.

The County’s floodplain managers and legal department also helped with this task to ensure the regulations are being implemented to protect public health, safety and welfare – and to reduce future damage and loss. This task also is important to ensure the County can continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program.

The checklist is available on the County website at http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12419. It also can be picked up at any of the County’s Building Department offices or Planning Department offices. When completed, they can be emailed to [email protected]  or brought (or mailed) to the Monroe County Planning & Environmental Resources Department, Marathon Government Center, 2798 Overseas Highway, Suite 400, Marathon, FL 33050.

A full analysis of the regulations related to the replacement and substantial improvement of manufactured and mobile homes, based on both the current adopted Monroe County Land Development Code and Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations (44 C.F.R.), are available on the County website. Go to http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12405.