FHA Issues Temporary Waiver for New Single-Family Flood Elevation Requirements
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has announced a temporary waiver for new construction in Special Flood Hazard Areas as part of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard requirements issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for single-family construction that took effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
The waiver means that the new elevation standard requiring that the lowest floor of new construction be at least two feet above the base flood elevation has been rescinded. This waiver applies to FHA-insured mortgages on new single-family construction.
In making its announcement, FHA said: “Without this partial waiver, the new MPS (minimum property standards) required elevation standard would have limited the land available for development and increased the cost of construction for FHA-insured single-family properties, thereby contributing to the insufficient supply of new construction housing and rising home prices.”
The partial waiver will be in effect for one year until Feb. 21, 2026.
Latest from NAHBNow
Codes and Standards
Aug 13, 2026
Sept. 1 Deadline Looms for Code Changes on Outdoor Outlets, GFCIs
On Sept. 1, 2026, a temporary exception in the National Electrical Code (NEC) is scheduled to expire, which requires ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection for outdoor HVAC equipment.
Membership | Advocacy | Leadership Meetings
Aug 12, 2026
Chairman's Update: What the Industry Pulse Check Told Us About Our Federation
In his August update, 2026 NAHB Chairman Bill Owens spotlights the feedback received through NAHB’s Industry Pulse Check and next steps on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act implementation.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Aug 13, 2026
Building Material Prices Show Growth In July
Residential building material prices, excluding energy, rose 0.4% in July and were up 5.0% from a year ago. Energy prices fell again in July but remained significantly higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, prices for services were down 0.3% over the month but were 6.2% higher than a year ago.
Economics
Aug 13, 2026
Homeownership Rate Edges Down to 65%
The latest homeownership rate declined to 65% in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). The homeownership rate was unchanged from a year ago, and not statistically different than the rate in the first quarter of the year (65.3%).
Economics
Aug 12, 2026
Inflation Eased Slightly in July
Led by declines in gasoline and diesel prices, inflation eased for the second consecutive month after reaching a three-year high in May. As energy prices moderated, shelter resumed its role as the largest driver of headline inflation, accounting for one-third of the annual increase and over two-thirds of the monthly increase.