The American Institute of Architects (AIA) on Tuesday filed comments in a Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) rule-making proceeding, supporting in concept the establishment of a disaster deductible for states and local governments in lieu of raising the threshold for disaster declarations.
“The deductible concept has merit as long as it is leveraged to have the greatest long-term impact for all,” the filing states and can be viewed here.
According to the AIA, state and local governments can significantly increase their ability to withstand adverse events and disasters – thereby reducing the need for the federal government to continue to make costly disaster declarations – by adopting building codes, standards and rating systems as a method to improve building quality, performance and resilience.
