Record-breaking heat, major hurricanes, droughts, flooding rains – given the frequency and severity of these and other weather events, the effects of climate change are on the minds of many. That includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which recently announced the availability of $1.8 billion for two grant programs to help communities increase their resilience: the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and the Flood Mitigation Assistance program.
The BRIC program supports states, local communities, tribes, and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects to reduce their risks from disasters and natural hazards. The program’s guiding principles are supporting communities through capability and capacity building, encouraging and enabling innovation, promoting partnerships, enabling large infrastructure projects, maintaining flexibility, and providing consistency. With the new funding allocation, BRIC will make an additional $1 billion available for projects that protect people and infrastructure from natural hazards and the effects of climate change.
The Flood Mitigation Assistance program, established after the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 was signed into law, is a competitive program providing funding to states, local governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and U.S. territories. Its competitive selections focus on reducing or eliminating the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured by the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA chooses recipients based on the applicant’s ranking of the project, eligibility, and cost-effectiveness of the project. The new funding allocation makes up to $800 million available for projects that mitigate flood risks facing homes and communities nationwide.
According to FEMA, the funding priorities for the application cycle for the Flood Mitigation Assistance program are:
- Capacity and Capability Building (C&CB) Activities, up to 60 million
- Localized Flood Risk Reduction Projects, up to 520 million
- Individual Flood Mitigation Projects, up to 220 million
The application period opened on Monday, October 16, 2023, and will run through 3:00 PM ET on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Eligible applicants must apply for funding using FEMA Grants Outcomes, FEMA’s grants management system. The application deadlines are for applicants only. Local governments should consult with their state, tribal, or territorial agency to confirm deadlines to submit sub-applications.
At BOLDplanning, a division of Agility, we encourage you to learn more about these funding opportunities and, if eligible, to apply. We also want to remind you of the importance of keeping your state, local, tribal, or territorial government’s hazard mitigation plans current. For governments to maintain funding eligibility, these plans must be updated and re-submitted for FEMA approval every five years.
BOLDplanning provides expert consultative services coupled with a powerful, cloud-based platform for developing emergency, continuity, and hazard mitigation plans. Let us give you the confidence and peace of mind in knowing your community or organization is ready for any critical event. Contact us today at 615.469.5558 or info@BOLDplanning for a no-obligation discussion of your preparedness planning needs.
