FLOOD08745

• County: Statewide
• Community: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Colorado Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Date: 12/1/1999
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: Kistner and Associates
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

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Colorado Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan .1999

3,2.1.3.3 Division of Housing
1313 Sherman Street
Denver, CO 80202
[phone]
htlp:/fwww.state.co.us/gov _ dirl
loc _ affairs_ d irfdoh, htm
The Division of Housing (DOH) assists Colorado com-
munities in providing safe, decent, and affordable hous-
ing, Services include providing federal and state funds
to finance the construction of new housing, rehabilitation
of existing housing, down payment, and rental assis,
tance, DOH aids communities in manufactured housing
safety standards enforcement and serves as the build-
ing department in 20 counties for the construction of
motels, hotels, and multifamily housing, In addition, the
DOH acts as an information source by compiling state-
wide information and resources. The governor-
appointed State Housing Board serves as an advisory
unit to the DOH in recommending funding awards,
DOH staff provide technical assistance, which includes
helping communities identify housing needs, securing
privatefpublic financing to develop a project, assistance
in building, marketing, leasing, and qualifying eligible
families for affordable housing.

During a natural disaster, like a flood or tornado, where
homes are uninhabitable or in major need of repair, the
DOH works with the American Red Cross, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Office of Emergency
Management, housing authorities, rehab agencies, and
the local county building department to provide assis-
tance and funds to families whose homes have been
destroyed or are in need of major repair. DOH building
inspectors have provided various levels of damage as,
sessment for homes/buildings effected by a disaster,
These assessments concern the level of damage on a
building and can range from extensive (unsafe for occu-
pancy) to minor (safe for occupancy but in need of some
repair), The results of the assessments are made avail-
able to occupants of the homesfbuildings and to the lo-
cal government officials, DOH staff have provided assis-
tance to the local building officials to determine the fea-
sibility of repair of the units and enabled the local juris-
diction to make informed decisions as to the disposition
of the homes in question,
Additional DOH disaster assistance includes:

. Aiding in the set-up of a community disaster re-
sponse center

. Assistance in locating suitable housing for the vic-
tims

. Rehabilitation, repair, and replacement of single
family, owner-occupied properties

. Temporary rental assistance while the family is
waiting for their home to be repaired or replaced,

Chapter 3 - 9

. Temporary rental expenses for those renters whose
incomes are less than 80% of the area median in-
eome.

DOH funds will not be used in the rehabilitation of resi,
dential properties located within the 100-year floodplain
unless the site can be safely removed from the flood-
plain or unless flood proofing to the 100-year flood ele-
vation plus one foot offreeboard can be achieved, The
purchase of flood insurance by the owner of a property
located in the 100-year floodplain does not justify the
use of DOH funds for the rehabilitation of the property.
The CWCB staff assist DOH staff and local program
managers in determining whether a specific property is
located within the floodplain and in determining what, if
any, limited repairs may be justified in the event that the
property is located within the floodplain.

3.2.1.4 Colorado Department of
Transportation
4201 East Arkansas
Denver, CO 80222
[phone]
Htlp:/fWWW.dotstate.co.us
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is
involved in the design and construction of highways
throughout the state, frequently in river valleys, so it is
one state agency that is familiar with floodplain issues,
Additionally, federal requirements tied to federal funding
of highway projects have dictated that floodplain
considerations enter into the highway design process,

Criteria, policies, and methodologies used by the CDOT
to design highways in floodplains are discussed below.

For interstate highways, U,S, highways, and Colorado
highways in urban areas, the 100-year flood is the
design standard, For interstate highways outside of
urban areas, the 50-year flood is the design standard,
For U,S, highways and Colorado highways in rural
areas, design is based on the 25,year flood or less,
What discharge is used depends on a benefitlcost
analysis, which considers two major factors:

(a) Interruption of highway service

(b) Safety to users during a flood event

In addition, the consequences of the 100-year flood are

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