Community Assistance Program – State Support Services Element (CAP-SSSE) helps states proactively identify, prevent and resolve floodplain management issues in participating communities before a flood event even occurs. In this way, CAP-SSSE helps to:
- Ensure that the flood loss reduction goals of the NFIP are met,
- Build state and community floodplain management expertise and capability and
- Leverage state knowledge and expertise in working with their communities.
Fundable CAP-SSSE Activities
- Selection of community activities using CEP Tool
- Entering Floodplain Management Data into the Community Information System (CIS)
- Community Assistance Visits and Community Assistance Contacts
- Floodplain Management Regulation Assistance
- Planning
- State Model Regulation Updates and Monitoring of State Regulatory Environment
- Outreach, Workshops and Other Training
- General Technical Assistance
- Enrollment of Communities
- Community Rating System (CRS) Support
- Coordination with Other Programs and Agencies
- Mapping Coordination Assistance
- Assistance to Communities in Responding to Disasters
Application and Resources
View the FY20 CAP-SSSE Notice of Funding Opportunity.
To apply for the 2020 CAP-SSSE, please go to grants.gov.
If you have any questions, contact your FEMA Regional Office or the FEMA Headquarters CAP-SSSE Coordinator.
Notices of Funding Opportunities
Authority and Requirements
The program derives its authority from the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, as amended, the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 and from the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR) Parts 59 and 60.
The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 prohibits the Director from providing flood insurance in a community unless that community adopts and enforces floodplain management measures that meet or exceed minimum criteria in 44 CFR Part 60.3. These floodplain management measures can take the form of floodplain management ordinances, building codes or zoning provisions.
FEMA Regional Offices and the designated state agency negotiate a CAP-SSSE Agreement that specifies activities and products to be completed by a state in return for CAP-SSSE funds. There is a 25 percent non-federal match for all states receiving CAP-SSSE funds.
Goals
The CAP-SSSE program goals detailed below align directly to the national Floodplain Management Program multi-year plan. These goals provide the framework for guiding the activities of the FEMA Regions and state NFIP coordinating offices as they work to meet the vision of the NFIP and the FEMA Strategic Plan. Annually, and in collaboration with FEMA, states are expected to develop and meet performance commitments for funded activities and community outcomes that align to the achievement of the CAP-SSSE program goals.
Goal 1: Grow local capacity and capability to improve resiliency through floodplain management
States shall leverage engagements and relationships with communities to build their capability and capacity to manage flood risk by adopting and enforcing the minimum standards of the NFIP. States should encourage participation in the NFIP and ensure that communities are maintaining or improving their compliance with the program.
Goal 3: Promote the benefits and drive demand for strong floodplain management development standards and insurance
States shall ensure they are employing opportunities to most effectively educate communities and the public on the value (e.g., economic, environmental, social benefits) of higher standards and insurance coverage.
Goal 2: Build state floodplain management capability and promote strong state inter-agency coordination and collaboration
State NFIP Coordinating offices should invest in growing their own technical expertise and capacity and position the office to better serve as the central coordination point for bringing the entire state’s capabilities and resources together to advance floodplain management and mitigation.
Priorities
CAP-SSSE Tiered Sate Framework (TSF)
The TSF defines the characteristics of foundational, proficient, and advanced state floodplain management programs and sets forth a process by which states are assessed and aligned to a tier which subsequently guides the work activities and performance expectations for the grant period of performance. In FY2020, States are required to complete the TSF assessment and collaborate with the FEMA Regions to establish annual performance commitments that will be monitored on a quarterly basis primarily through Community Information System (CIS) reporting.
Substantial Damage Compliance
States will be expected to ensure community compliance with substantial damage provisions of floodplain management regulations.
State Development Compliance
States will continue to support efforts to improve compliance with the NFIP regulations for new and existing state-owned property in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).
Performance Metrics
FEMA’s Floodplain Management program monitors performance through three (3) program metrics to which state NFIP Coordinating Offices are required to contribute in addition to any other annual performance commitments they have agreed upon with the FEMA Regional office. These include:
- Map Adoption. States must meet the national metric of 93% map adoptions for those participating communities that receive Letters of Final Determination (LFDs) in their state.
- Community Engagement. States must have contact with a designated percentage of the participating communities in their State by Community Assistance Visits (CAVs), Community Assistance Contacts (CACs), General Technical Assistance (GTA), Regulation Assistance, or Workshops. States and the FEMA Regional CAP Coordinator will negotiate “Expected” and “Excellence” targets for the percentage of communities that will be engaged during the POP. These targets will be documented in the Statement of Work (SOW).
- Higher Standards Adoption. States must commit to a designated number of communities where, through various types of engagements, they will ensure the community adopts higher standards for floodplain management than what is minimally required by the NFIP. States and the FEMA Regional CAP Coordinator will negotiate “Expected” and “Excellence” targets for the number of communities adopting a higher standard during the POP. These targets will be documented in the Statement of Work (SOW).
- Additionally, in order to promote CAP-SSSE transformation success, the states will support all transformation activities and attend at least two CAP Transformation engagement activities: the Hazard Mitigation (HM) Workshop at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), State Coordinators Session at Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Conference, or Transformation Webinars.