News
She wants to put her house on stilts. The idea could save Miami’s flood-prone homes.
April 19, 2018
Following Hurricane Irma, a Coconut Grove homeowner started looking for a way to protect her home from future storms and flooding and found inspiration in affordable houses built on stilts in Louisiana, but many counties in Florida—with the possible exception of Monroe—don’t plan to use post-hurricane Federal Emergency Management Agency money on single-family home elevations. Miami residents interested in elevation can face a lot of resistance from contractors, neighbors, and members of the city’s sea level rise committee, but the city has been clarifying its building codes to make it simpler for residents to explore options for making their homes more resilient to sea level rise. Some homeowners are opting for the seemingly simpler option of tearing down their old home and building a new, elevated structure, while others are hoping to preserve the original designs and character of their neighborhoods.