Posted by Mike Kangior, Director of Resilience Policy & Matt Fuchs, Deputy Director of Resilience Policy
A key priority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is to work with our state, local, and private sector partners as we all strive to make our communities more resilient in the face of disasters.
As part of that effort, DHS is undertaking a pilot project designed to promote building design that recognizes best practices that help make buildings more resilient. The initiative, the DHS Resilience STARTM Home Pilot Project, will be a government-led, public-private initiative. Through the pilot project, DHS will work together with the private sector to engage homeowners, builders and contractors in communities at high risk for certain natural disasters to identify proactive steps to enhance the resilience of the homes.
The project will allow the private sector to identify and designate residential homes that are voluntarily built or remodeled that could employ design features that are both affordable and proven to enhance resilience to disasters.
The Resilience STARTM designation, which is modeled after the Environmental Protection Agency’s successful ENERGY STAR campaign, will be given to structures that are built to withstand damage from certain disasters, utilizing the standards and third-party verification process in the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s (IBHS) FORTIFIED programs. The FORTIFIED standards are designed to improve the quality of residential construction and feature practical, meaningful solutions for new and existing homes throughout the United States.
The first pilot project will take place in the next few months along the hurricane-prone Gulf Coast. DHS is currently soliciting applications from builders, contractors, and homeowners who would like to participate in this project.
Through initiatives like the Resilience STARTM Home Pilot Project, we can continue to increase the readiness and resilience of our communities.
For more information on the Resilience STAR™ Home Pilot Project, and to apply to participate, visit here.