ICC to Guide Mexican Codes and Standards Update
 The International Code Council (ICC) has signed an agreement with Mexico’s National Commission of Housing Development to help the country’s government develop a residential building code.
The I-Codes that have been developed by the ICC will provide a guide for the creation of new codes and standards in Mexico. “The Mexican government has a long-term plan to update its construction standards to include the safest techniques, materials and technologies,” said James Lee Witt, the ICC’s chief executive officer and a former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Witt added that the I-Codes, which are already enforced in thousands of U.S. jurisdictions, will provide residents of Mexico with “safe, affordable and comfortable housing.” Carlos Gutierrez Ruiz, the national commissioner of Housing Development for Mexico, said the agreement would help promote quality and safety in Mexico’s residential buildings and will help support efforts to bolster the nation’s housing supply under the government’s Housing Sector Program. The agreement was signed during the ICC’s observance of Building Safety Week on May 8-14, which encouraged building departments across America and around the world to promote the use, enforcement and importance of building safety and fire prevention codes. Rita Feinberg, NAHB's international executive director, attended the signing of the agreement. NAHB works closely with CONAFOVI on various efforts established in collaboration with Mexico's housing sector under the Department of Commerce-supported Access Mexico initiative. | 
