We know that stronger construction and better construction can reduce the costs associated with responding to and rebuilding after natural disasters and save lives. Investments in mitigation present a better return on investment. Concrete masonry and hardscape construction are well-suited to help communities, local governments, land owners, and developers to reduce their risks. The National Institute of Building Sciences published a 2019 report Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves.
CMHA supports legislation and policies that incentivizes investments in disaster mitigation and modern building code adoptions. CMHA also advocates within and through codes and standards bodies to expand life-safety code philosophies to result in better property and community protection with enhanced code provisions.
CMHA partners with other organizations that are similarly advocating for building a stronger America:
- Resilience Building Coalition. With leadership from the American Institute of Architects, CMHA and other signatory organizations are rallying to address the urgent need for a built environment that can robustly prepare for, respond t, and recover from natural and human-caused hazards. In 2020 the Coalition published Preparing to Thrive: Resilience Building Coalition 5-Year Progress Report which outlines a series of concrete steps Coalition members have taken in the areas of research, education, advocacy, disaster response, and planning, and highlights key milestones such as White House and federal agency engagement.
- Buildstrong Coalition. The BuildStrong Coalition is a group of firefighters, emergency responders, insurers, engineers, architects, contractors and manufacturers, as well as consumer organizations, code specialists, and many others committed to building a more resilient America. The Coalition drives national policy discussion on how to increase investments in mitigation to draw down disaster costs and losses. The Coalition has expanded its efforts to support its state and local partners and stakeholders through education, technical assistance, and connecting resources to build capacity and capability.
- Concrete Industry Partners. CMHA and other organizations representing various sections of the concrete industry collaborate together to document the role of concrete construction in disaster mitigation and to advocate for governments to support policies that result in a more-resilient America. The Portland Cement Association published a report in 2019 titled, the Real Value of Resilient Construction.