Specifications include, but are not limited to: River corridors and floodplains function to reduce flood stage, erosion and to capture sediments and nutrients to build soils. Existing development within these areas are often exposed to direct damage in proximity to rivers, and the reduction of risk to structures also provides opportunities to address co-benefits such as clean water, habitat, safety, and environmental justice. Manufactured Homes are particularly vulnerable to damage from inundation and erosive power. During Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and again during the July 2023 floods, a disproportionate share of destroyed residences were manufactured homes. The River Corridor and Floodplain Protection Program of the DEC works in cooperation with multiple partners to identify flood and erosion risks, protect floodplain services, and reduce the risk to exposed homes and public services. Vermont adopted an Environmental Justice Policy in 2022 to work for an equitable distribution of environmental risks and benefits throughout the State. Considerable investment is underway within multiple Vermont agencies, non-governmental organizations, regional planning commissions, and municipalities to coordinate operations and deliver improvements that better meet the actual needs of vulnerable and marginalized people for safe and equitable housing with the co-benefit of maintaining and promoting functioning floodplains. The planned scope of work consists of four elements: Stories and Lessons Learned – This component involves recording and distilling the experiences of MHC residents, partners, and stakeholders during the flood response period. It is essential to capture and record the experiences and the lessons learned from those individuals who lived through a major flood event, either in their own words or through group reflection. This work can be completed through one-on-one interviews with residents impacted by the flood and/or with local emergency managers and other support network case workers as well as by conducting in-person or virtual workshops with MHC residents, town government officials, and emergency managers to retrieve and record the stories and experiences from the July 2023 and December 2023 flood events. The intention is to record the experiences (when assented to by those being interviewed), and where practicable, to share those learning experiences at large with community members and through the Vermont Flood Training or Vermont Flood Ready websites. Toolkit – The purpose of the Toolkit is to identify the most valuable flood risk reduction and flood recovery actions for MHC residents (both homeowners and renters), MHC park owners, communities, and other partners. The Toolkit should be developed in a condensed, easily accessible format which includes three to five information sheets that can also be easily accessed in other formats such as online applications accessible by mobile phone. The Toolkit fact sheets should include key considerations posed during different time frames both before, during, and after a flood event, and should be targeted to reach different groups such as homeowners, renters, co-op boards, park owners, etc. The Toolkit should also aim to provide flood risk reduction guidance information for MHC residents and partners and include action checklists and stepby-step guidance/instructions to follow before, during, and after a flood event. Flood Safe Manufactured Home Communities – Flood Risk Reduction Strategies and Post-Flood Recovery Plans – Following up from the recently established relationships discussed above, this project will involve working with two to five MHC communities and partners to produce a report for each MHC community outlining immediate post-flood recovery strategies and long-term specific actions for flood risk reduction in the particular community. This work needs to adequately support the relationships with MHC residents and solicit their participation as they pursue flood risk mitigation measures in the context of their community needs. This work would engage MHC residents and community members, local municipal planners and emergency managers, DEC, and other partnering groups in discussions regarding post-flood recovery actions and identifying flood risk reduction strategies and projects. These workshops and conversations can ideally result in the creation and development of flood and climate resilient outcomes and plans for the communities. These plans should include immediate post-flood recovery strategies (e.g., relocating home sites, elevating homes to higher levels, retiring the most at-risk sites) as well as longer-term strategies and projects that are consistent with Vermont’s No Adverse Impact standards. The plans should attempt to create a shared vison for climate and flood resilience with park residents and technical experts. Finally, any project alternatives that are effective at reducing flood risk in the MHCs should be supported by the community based on input from residents of the MHCs and successfully implemented by the community over time. The workshops and facilitated conversations discussed above shall be supported by the mapping information produced in the 2023 Vermont Manufactured Housing Community Flood Risk Assessment and other additional flood risk information to help residents understand how flooding may impact their communities. The additional flood risk data may result in the collection of new, MHC specific data (e.g., flood depths compared to floor elevation for different sites, or the creation of new informational flood maps) and other visualization tools to support the conversation and creation of project alternatives. This data development will likely vary by each MHC’s prior flood experiences, existing resident flood knowledge, and the availability of existing data. Ideally, these MHC strategies and recovery plans may go on to inform municipal and state hazard mitigation plans and emergency operations. Finally, funding from FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance may be an option for the creation of new opportunities for flood mitigation such as engineering studies as well as the development and implement of flood mitigation actions that promote the construction of safe and affordable housing. Community Building & Sustaining Relationships for Learning - Long term learning about how communities are affected by flooding events and their responses are needed. For example, some residents may be displaced by flooding and then often struggle to find housing, whether it is replacement housing in the same or a similar location, relocation within the geographic area, or complete relocation out of the area. Maintaining community relationships helps to support community members and share vital information among park residents through the immediate post-flood recovery period. From the relationships established in the 2023 Vermont Manufactured Housing Community Flood Risk Assessment, there is a continuing need to learn from the affected residents, communities, and partners regarding the best strategies and approaches for dealing with flood-related impacts. Part of this work is to explore ways to support a robust, long term learning process in a way that community networks can be maintained beyond the contract period. Maintaining community networks may also help members to relay and share important information, maintain social connections, and help to track different paths of post-flood recovery. This project is intended to develop and promote methods for fostering and hosting real-world or virtual connections among park residents that can be self-maintained by the group after the contract is complete. This project may also result in a study or analysis of post-flood resident outcomes as a way of better understanding the experiences and decisions made by residents after encountering different magnitudes of flooding, such as the life-changing events of July 2023 or Tropical Storm Irene, or during smaller but possibly more frequent flood events. DEC is seeking proposals to address all the afore-mentioned objectives.
